Today in one sentence: The U.S. and Iran signed a preliminary framework to end Trump’s monthslong war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Trump plans to nominate one of his personal lawyers to run the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan; federal agents have reportedly questioned Gavin Newsom’s family friends, former employees, and people tied to his wife’s nonprofits as part of several federal investigations; Trump said the July 4th celebration on the National Mall for America’s 250th anniversary will double as “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all”; Trump hosted a $60 million UFC cage fight on the White House South Lawn for his 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary; 78% of Americans say the “American Dream” is harder to attain now than it was a generation ago; 49% of voters say they prefer to see Democrats control Congress; and 69% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing to address the cost of living.
\n1/ The U.S. and Iran signed a preliminary framework to end Trump’s monthslong war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The full text of deal, however, remain secret and the issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program, stockpile of highly enriched uranium, sanctions relief, frozen assets, and whether the ceasefire applies to Lebanon were deferred for 60 days of negotiations. Nevertheless, Trump declared “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” saying the strait would be “completely open” by Friday and “permanently toll-free.” Iran said it was “not seeking to levy transit tolls,” but would charge fees for unspecified services. JD Vance, meanwhile, called memorandum “a very general document” of “about a page and a half,” but said there are “a lot” of details left to figure out. Iran said nuclear issues and sanctions relief remain subject to negotiation and that talks would proceed “on the basis of mistrust.” Israel, meanwhile, distanced itself from the deal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it Trump’s “decision,” saying Israel and the U.S. don’t always “see eye to eye” while warning that Israel’s “struggle has not ended” as it continued striking Hezbollah targets despite Iran and Pakistan saying the agreement covers Lebanon. (New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Politico / Associated Press / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC / CNN / NBC News / ABC News)
\nThe U.S. emergency oil reserve fell to its lowest level since 1983. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve now holds about 340 million barrels after the Trump administration released another 8.9 million barrels last week to help with fuel prices – a little less than half full. It’s down 75 million barrels, or 18%, since the war began in late February. (CNN / Bloomberg)
\nOil and gas supplies could take months to recover despite the U.S.-Iran deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Energy experts said companies first need insurance, crews, and confidence that ships can safely enter, load, and leave the strait, while some producers might not restart wells until they believe the ceasefire will last. (Associated Press / New York Times)
\n💡 Trump sought to break Iran’s regime. He settled for reopening Hormuz. “A return to a version of the status quo was a far cry from the original aims of a war effort that kicked off with a vow to come to the aid of the Iranian protesters who had taken to their nation’s streets to denounce their regime.” (Washington Post)
\n💡 Trump winds down the war he started with goals unmet. “Despite Mr. Trump’s grandiose claims, the agreement has not yet achieved the core goals he laid out three months ago for launching U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.” (New York Times)
\n💡 Trump celebrates while America capitulates. “It is clear that Trump has failed to achieve every one of the goals he put forward for this war of choice, and now he is determined to sign, seal, and deliver America’s capitulation as quickly as possible.” (The Atlantic)
\n2/ Trump plans to nominate one of his personal lawyers to run the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan. James M. McDonald, a Sullivan & Cromwell partner and former Southern District prosecutor, is still part of the legal team appealing Trump’s 34-count felony conviction in New York for falsifying business records tied to hush-money payments during the 2016 campaign. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to fast-track Jay Clayton’s confirmation as director of national intelligence. the current Manhattan U.S. attorney. Trump’s temporary pick for DNI, Bill Pulte, has drawn bipartisan concern and criticism for his lack of intelligence experience. Democrats have refused to support renewing the expired Section 702 surveillance authority while Pulte is acting DNI. (Associated Press / Politico / NBC News / New York Times / Politico)
\n3/ Federal agents have reportedly questioned Gavin Newsom’s family friends, former employees, and people tied to his wife’s nonprofits as part of several federal investigations, though the scope, targets, and legal basis remain unclear. Newsom, widely considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, claimed Trump’s Justice Department is “digging through years and years of random documents” because he’s considering running for president, saying: “To get me, he’s coming after my wife,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Tax records show Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit paid her production company $161,250 in 2024, and another nonprofit she co-founded has received support from donors with business before California’s government. However, no public evidence of wrongdoing by Siebel Newsom or the nonprofits has surfaced. (Reuters / Axios / New York Times)
\n4/ Trump said the July 4th celebration on the National Mall for America’s 250th anniversary will double as “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all.” The event, which Freedom 250 had promoted as the country’s “premier Independence Day celebration,” will include military bands, flyovers, airshows, Trump’s own playlist, and what he called the “LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY.” (Axios / Politico / Reuters / Washington Post / CNN)
\n5/ Trump hosted a $60 million UFC cage fight on the White House South Lawn for his 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary. Fighters walked through the Oval Office and military jets flew overhead with more than 4,000 VIPs, officials, and service members watching under a 92-foot steel “Claw.” UFC said it paid the production costs, while the federal government provided security, law enforcement, medical, and emergency services at an unclear taxpayer cost. Trump sat cageside between Melania Trump and Dana White, with several fighters thanking Trump. (NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / New York Times / NPR)
\n👑 Portrait of a President at 80
\nAs Trump turns 80, he faces a foe he can never defeat: Father Time. That’s a problem for us all. “Alarm over the judgment and behaviour of the world’s most powerful man, and the consequent risks to the world, can only get worse.” (The Guardian)
\nA president “really uncomfortable” with aging. “Even for a president known for imposing his own reality on every situation, Trump has not outrun scrutiny over his age.” (New York Times)
\nTrump is trying to project strength as he turns 80, but mounting political problems are tarnishing his image as an all-powerful leader. “Trump’s political capital is declining, with struggles to end an unpopular war with Iran, resistance from fellow Republicans to his ideas, and waning support outside his devoted base.” (Bloomberg)
\npoll/ 78% of Americans say the “American Dream” is harder to attain now than it was a generation ago. (NBC News)
\npoll/ 49% of voters say they prefer to see Democrats control Congress, compared to 44% who prefer Republican control. 7% are unsure. (NBC News)
\npoll/ 69% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing to address the cost of living, while 24% approve. (Reuters)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 141 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 876 days.
\n\nTrump’s Justice Department approved Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal would combine Paramount with CNN, HBO, Warner Bros., and HBO Max, while merging HBO Max with Paramount+ into a streaming service with roughly 200 million subscribers. The Antitrust Division said its eight-month review found the transaction “is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers.” (CNN / Politico)
\nThe Trump administration told a federal appeals court that it’s too late to stop Trump’s 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom as construction has continued for more than two months while judges considered whether the project can legally proceed. (Wall Street Journal)
\nThe Trump White House debated suspending habeas corpus for undocumented immigrants to speed up mass deportations after the Supreme Court said migrants facing removal under the Alien Enemies Act could challenge their deportations in court. Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, warned Susie Wiles in a confidential memo that the Constitution permits suspending the right only in cases of “rebellion or invasion,” and that courts have “almost uniformly” held only Congress can do it. Scharf also wrote a separate confidential memo warning against invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military against immigration protests, arguing it would invite immediate legal challenges. (New York Times)
\nICE obtained local voter files from local election officials in Texas and North Carolina as part of the Trump administration’s push to investigate alleged noncitizen voting into state and county voter systems. Voter records can include a person’s address, date of birth, driver’s license number, registration history, and voting history. Trump has repeatedly claimed that millions of people, including noncitizens, are voting illegally, but documented cases are rare. (Axios)
\nTrump said U.S. Southern Command killed Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero in a “swift and lethal kinetic strike”, calling it “retribution.” Guerrero was indicted in New York in December on terrorism and violence charges, and the State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. (ABC News)
\nTop White House officials believe journalists obtained audio recordings of Situation Room meetings for their forthcoming book. “We’re afraid some of our most sensitive conversations were being recorded,” an administration source said. The White House hasn’t disputed the verbatim dialogue from several Situation Room meetings included in New York Times excerpts about the Iran war and Epstein files, including Marco Rubio dismissing Benjamin Netanyahu’s Iran regime-change scenarios as “bullshit.” (Axios)
\nThe Kennedy Center removed Trump’s name from its facade and official materials after a federal judge ruled its rebranding was unlawful. A D.C. Circuit denied the administration’s last-minute request to keep the name up during an appeal. (New York Times / ABC News)
\nA federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore signs, films, and exhibits removed or altered at national parks under Trump’s directive against materials that “inappropriately disparage Americans” or cast the country “in a negative light.” U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley blocked the National Park Service from making further changes and ordered the restored materials back within three weeks, by July 3, saying the administration sought “to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen.” (Associated Press / New York Times / CNN)
\nThe U.S. is on track to lose its measles-elimination status for the first time since 2000 as a Utah outbreak has spread continuously since at least August. Utah needs to go 42 days without a new case to declare the outbreak over. It reported another case last week. (Wall Street Journal)
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", "summary": "The U.S. and Iran signed a preliminary framework to end Trump’s monthslong war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Trump plans to nominate one of his personal lawyers to run the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan; federal agents have reportedly questioned Gavin Newsom’s family friends, former employees, and people tied to his wife’s nonprofits as part of several federal investigations;...", "date_published": "2026-06-15T15:50:39-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/11/day-1969/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/11/day-1969/", "title": "Day 1969: “Full force and effect.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1969trump-b642c1.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran and claimed a peace deal was close hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” and saying the U.S. would take Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets; the House rejected a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, all but ensuring the government’s foreign surveillance authority expires at midnight on Friday; Trump said he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan and former SEC chair, as permanent director of national intelligence; and the Interior Department is investigating brown grass patches on the National Mall that appeared from above to form “8647.”
\n1/ Trump called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran and claimed a peace deal was close hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” and saying the U.S. would take Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets. The reversal followed two days of U.S. strikes on Iranian air defenses, radar, and military sites after Trump accused Iran of downing a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by targeting U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,” Trump said he had “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” adding: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.” The deal is still “subject to finalization of documents.” Trump suggested that a signing could happen “over the next few days” and said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen once the deal is signed. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force and effect” until the “Transaction is finalized.” Iran, however, hasn’t publicly confirmed an agreement. (New York Times / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Axios / Washington Post / Politico / CNN)
\n2/ The House rejected a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, all but ensuring the government’s foreign surveillance authority expires at midnight on Friday after Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against a three-week patch. Democrats said they wouldn’t extend the warrantless surveillance program while Trump still plans to install Bill Pulte, a housing official with no national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence. Hours later, Trump said he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan and former SEC chair, as permanent DNI, but he didn’t withdraw Pulte. Clayton also has no intelligence community experience. (Axios / CNBC / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
\n3/ The Interior Department is investigating brown grass patches on the National Mall that appeared from above to form “8647.” The numbers have been used by Trump’s opponents as a sort of protest slogan, while Trump allies and federal prosecutors have argued it’s a threat because “86” can mean to remove or get rid of something and Trump is the 47th president. Park Police said the cause of the “discoloration” hasn’t been determined and collected grass samples for testing, while the Interior called it “deranged vandalism” and said “any threat against the President is taken very seriously.” (CNN / Reuters / Washington Post)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 145 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 880 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
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", "summary": "Trump called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran and claimed a peace deal was close hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” and saying the U.S. would take Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets; the House rejected a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, all but ensuring...", "date_published": "2026-06-11T13:43:18-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/10/day-1968/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/10/day-1968/", "title": "Day 1968: “I love the inflation.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1968trump-ffb25a.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Inflation topped 4% for the first time in three years; Trump responded to the inflation report by saying “I love the inflation,” calling the numbers “great,” and arguing that prices would fall “like a rock” when the Iran war he started ends; the U.S. bombed Iran for a second straight night after Trump said Tehran had taken “too long to negotiate” and would “pay the price”; Maine Democrats nominated Graham Platner to challenge Susan Collins in a race that will likely to decide control of the Senate; Trump signed the nearly $70 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of his term; a top Justice Department official planned to seek compensation from Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and asked to recuse himself from work on it; and Trump directed his acting director of national intelligence to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing” of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence while asking Congress to temporarily extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
\n1/ Inflation topped 4% for the first time in three years. The Labor Department reported that prices rose 0.5% from April and 4.2% from a year earlier – up from 3.8% in April. Energy accounted for more than 60% of the monthly increase, with gas rising 7% in May, and up more than 40% from a year ago. Real average hourly earnings, meanwhile, fell 0.7% from a year ago, meaning inflation has outpaced wage growth for a second straight month. (NPR / CNN / NBC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Reuters / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n2/ Trump responded to the highest inflation reading in three years by saying “I love the inflation,” calling the numbers “great,” and arguing that prices would fall “like a rock” when the Iran war he started ends. Trump then claimed that the U.S. had been “taking out millions of barrels of oil” and that “the other night” it “took out […] 22 ships,” adding: “Nobody knows it. You know who doesn’t know about it? Iran, until right now.” Trump later called it a “secret mission” that helped to move more than “100 MILLION Barrels of Oil” and more than 200 commercial ships through the strait, declaring: “The UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright, meanwhile, said he wasn’t aware the U.S. was taking millions of barrels out of Iran, but said the military had helped some tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz. (CBS News / The Hill / ABC News / CNBC)
\n3/ The U.S. bombed Iran for a second straight night after Trump said Tehran had taken “too long to negotiate” and would “pay the price.” Central Command said that it began “additional self-defense strikes” against “multiple targets in Iran,” but didn’t identify the targets. Iran, however, accused the U.S. of hitting drinking-water reservoirs. Trump, who repeatedly claimed that a peace deal was close, accused Iran of “playing us for suckers” and said, “We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard again today.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the strikes would “advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position,” adding: “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs.” The strikes followed Iran’s overnight attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan after earlier U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz in response to an Iranian drone colliding with an American Apache helicopter. (Associated Press / Reuters / Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg / Washington Post / The Guardian / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / CNBC)
\n4/ 🟦🟥 Primaries: Maine Democrats nominated Graham Platner to challenge Susan Collins in a race that will likely to decide control of the Senate. Despite months of controversy over Platner’s past conduct, old Reddit posts, sexually explicit texts, and allegations from former girlfriends that he denied or attributed to a “very dark period” after his military service, the Marine veteran and oyster farmer won about three-quarters of the vote. Collins ran unopposed for a sixth term in a state Trump lost in 2024. Elsewhere, Trump-backed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette advanced to a June 23 runoff for governor, while Rep. Nancy Mace failed to advance. In Nevada, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford won their primaries. (ABC News / Associated Press / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
\n5/ Trump signed the nearly $70 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of his term. The law gives ICE $38 billion, Border Patrol $26 billion, and another $5 billion for unforeseen costs. Republicans stripped out $1 billion tied to Trump’s White House ballroom security and the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” payout fund. (Politico / Associated Press / CBS News)
\n6/ A top Justice Department official planned to seek compensation from Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and asked to recuse himself from work on it. Patrick Davis, the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, said his phone and email records were subpoenaed while he investigated “Russiagate” as a congressional staffer, making him a potential claimant to a fund that he was responsible for defending to Congress. The Justice Department, however, said Davis temporarily recused himself “out of an abundance of caution,” and later decided recusal was unnecessary. (Politico)
\n7/ Trump directed his acting director of national intelligence to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing” of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence while asking Congress to temporarily extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is set to take over June 19 while keeping that job, despite having no intelligence or national security experience. House Intelligence Committee Democrats have demanded that Pulte undergo a full security review, including his finances, foreign contacts, and a polygraph, before assuming the post, warning that “a security clearance granted under executive authority is insufficient to safeguard classified information.” Trump claimed he needed a short-term extension of the surveillance law, which lets the government collect foreigners’ communications overseas without a warrant but can also sweep up Americans’ communications with those targets, to allow time to choose and confirm a permanent DNI. (Wall Street Journal / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC / The Guardian / Bloomberg)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 146 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 881 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Inflation topped 4% for the first time in three years; Trump responded to the inflation report by saying “I love the inflation,” calling the numbers “great,” and arguing that prices would fall “like a rock” when the Iran war he started ends; the U.S. bombed Iran for a second straight night after Trump said Tehran had taken “too long to...", "date_published": "2026-06-10T15:31:52-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/09/day-1967/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/09/day-1967/", "title": "Day 1967: “The best solution is for them to leave.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1967trump-1942b4.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The U.S. launched “self-defense strikes” against Iran after Trump accused Tehran of shooting down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz; House Republicans passed the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term; Social Security’s retirement trust fund is now expected to run of money in 2032, forcing an automatic 22% cut in retiree and survivor benefits to more than 68 million beneficiaries unless Congress acts; Trump and his family collected at least $2.3 billion from four crypto ventures while investors in those products lost roughly $2.3 billion; and Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game, as well as the first president to be booed at an NBA Finals game.
\n1/ The U.S. launched “self-defense strikes” against Iran after Trump accused Tehran of shooting down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command called the strikes a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” but provided no targets, damage assessment, or evidence that Iran deliberately shot down the helicopter. Trump had earlier claimed Iran “shot down” the aircraft and said “the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.” U.S. officials, however, said an Iranian drone brought down or collided with the aircraft while the military’s formal investigation was still ongoing. Iran, meanwhile, didn’t claim responsibility, but Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that forces near Iranian territory were at risk from “human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire,” adding that the “best solution is for them to leave.” The two crew members were rescued by a Navy surface drone, the first known U.S. military rescue of its kind. (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Axios / Bloomberg / NBC News)
\n2/ House Republicans passed the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term. Republicans passed it 214-212 using reconciliation to bypass Democrats and end the monthslong standoff that began after immigration agents fatally shot two Americans in Minnesota. Democrats had demanded changes to immigration enforcement tactics, including warrants before entering homes, limits on masks, and more oversight. The final bill, however, doesn’t include those demands. It also dropped Trump’s proposed $1 billion in White House security and ballroom funding, but leaves out restrictions on his proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. (NBC News / Politico / New York Times / CNN / NPR / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
\n3/ Social Security’s retirement trust fund is now expected to run of money in 2032, forcing an automatic 22% cut in retiree and survivor benefits to more than 68 million beneficiaries unless Congress acts. The fund is projected to be depleted one quarter sooner than last year’s forecast, leaving enough money to cover 78% of scheduled benefits. The trustees said Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced taxes paid on Social Security benefits, which normally flows back into Social Security and Medicare, while lower fertility and reduced immigration mean fewer workers are paying into the system. Trump, nevertheless, has vowed not to cut benefits, but Congress would still need to raise taxes, cut benefits, borrow more, or some combination to prevent the reduction. (CNN / Washington Post / Reuters / Associated Press / New York Times / NPR / Wall Street Journal)
\n4/ Trump and his family collected at least $2.3 billion from four crypto ventures while investors in those products lost roughly $2.3 billion. In all four deals, the Trump family promoted crypto products, risked little or none of their own money, and then got paid through licensing, revenue-sharing, or equity arrangements. Buyers, however, absorbed the downside. World Liberty Financial sent more than $1.6 billion to the Trumps, while its token fell from 46 cents to about 6 cents with most holders locked out of selling until 2030. Alt5 Sigma raised $750 million from investors, bought World Liberty tokens, and then routed roughly $500 million to the Trump family. The company, now AI Financial, has since lost more than 90% of its stock value and warned that there is “substantial doubt” it can keep operating. Nevertheless, the White House said “there are no conflicts of interest,” and World Liberty called itself “a private American financial technology company, not a political organization.” (CNBC / Reuters)
\n5/ Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game, as well as the first president to be booed at an NBA Finals game. When Madison Square Garden showed him on the jumbotron during the national anthem before Game 3, fans loudly booed and the camera cut away. Trump later claimed it was “loud”, “mostly cheers”, and “very enthusiastic,” while also calling the NBA “a little left wing” but “great.” The Knicks went on to lose their first Finals home game since 1999, while snapping a 13-game win streak. (Associated Press / New York Magazine / Vanity Fair / New Yorker / New York Times / ESPN / The Athletic / New York Post / Wall Street Journal)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 147 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 882 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The U.S. launched “self-defense strikes” against Iran after Trump accused Tehran of shooting down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz; House Republicans passed the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term; Social Security’s retirement trust fund is now expected to run of money in 2032, forcing...", "date_published": "2026-06-09T14:05:36-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/08/day-1966/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/08/day-1966/", "title": "Day 1966: “I didn’t promise anything.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1966trump-46f20a.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Israel and Iran paused direct attacks after trading strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire; Trump denied that he ever promised not to start a war while defending his three-month war with Iran that he launched without congressional approval; Trump abruptly ended a “Meet the Press” interview after Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence supporting his false claims that the 2020 election and California’s primary were “rigged”; the House passed a Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions bill; the Senate passed the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill without restrictions on Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; a federal judge voided Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications; Trump wants his acting director of national intelligence to “start the process” of firing “a lot of people” in the intelligence community; a federal lawsuit seeks to block Trump’s UFC fight on the White House South Lawn arguing the June 14 event violates National Park Service rules, lacked environmental review, and uses federal landmarks for a private, for-profit sports event; and 66% of Americans say a democratically elected government is important to the nation’s identity – down from 80% in 2021.
\n1/ Israel and Iran paused direct attacks after trading strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire. Trump twice told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop firing and warned him that Israel could be “on your own very soon.” After Iran fired missiles at Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Trump called Netanyahu Sunday night to tell him not to retaliate further. Netanyahu reportedly said Israel had to answer a direct attack and then struck Iranian air defenses and a petrochemical facility, prompting more Iranian missiles toward Israel. Trump then demanded on Truth Social that “Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting,” and called Netanyahu again Monday morning, and said he told him: “Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon.” Netanyahu later said “the fire on this front has been contained,” but warned Israel would “respond with force” if Iran attacks again. Iran’s armed forces said they were suspending operations, but threatened “more severe and crushing measures” if Israeli strikes continue, including in southern Lebanon. Trump, meanwhile, claimed “final negotiations” with Iran were still proceeding, but Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. said the two sides “have not yet reached a final text.” (New York Times / Axios / Associated Press / NPR / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
\n2/ Trump denied that he ever promised not to start a war while defending his three-month war with Iran that he launched without congressional approval. “I didn’t guarantee no war,” Trump said. “I didn’t promise anything.” However, as a candidate, Trump said “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,” and told voters: “I will not send you to fight and die in stupid foreign wars that never end.” Trump insisted Iran “is not an endless war” because “we’ve been doing this for three months,” claimed “the threat is largely over,” and said the U.S. may keep 50,000 troops in the Middle East because “maybe we may use them.” (NPR / New York Times / Politico / The Hill)
\n3/ Trump abruptly ended a “Meet the Press” interview after Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence supporting his false claims that the 2020 election and California’s primary were “rigged.” Trump claimed California officials were “cheating on the election” because ballots were still being counted days after the primary even though state law allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted for up to a week. “All I have to do is look, and I listen,” Trump said. “But that’s not evidence,” Welker replied. Trump then accused Welker and NBC of being “crooked,” saying “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid” and that “You’re a one-sided crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.” Before removing his microphone and walking off the set, Trump said: “A country can never be great with a dishonest press.” (Washington Post / Politico / BBC / The Hill / Axios)
\n4/ The House passed a Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions bill. 18 Republicans joined Democrats to pass the Ukraine Support Act, 226 to 195, after lawmakers used a rare procedural move to bypass Republican leaders who had kept it off the floor. The bill would authorize up to $8 billion in loans for Ukraine and NATO allies, provide roughly $1.8 billion in military and security aid, while imposing new sanctions on Russia’s energy, finance, and mining sectors, as well as companies and people helping Moscow evade sanctions. The bill, however, faces a difficult path in the Senate and would likely be vetoed if it reached Trump’s desk. (New York Times / Reuters / ABC News / Washington Post / NBC News)
\n5/ The Senate passed the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill without restrictions on Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, sending the package to the House after Republicans defeated bipartisan attempts to block or limit the taxpayer-funded payout program. The bill, approved 52-47 with Lisa Murkowski the only Republican opposed, would fund ICE and Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term using budget reconciliation that bypasses the filibuster. The House is expected to take up the bill next week. Meanwhile, Trump refused to rule out using the fund to compensate Jan. 6 defendants who attacked police, saying he “wouldn’t be inclined” to approve payouts for them, “but I have to see it.” Although acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers the administration was “not moving forward with the fund, period,” Trump said “I love the idea” and “if it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve.” (New York Times / NBC News / The Guardian / NBC News / Politico / ABC News)
\n6/ A federal judge voided Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, ruling that the charge was an unlawful tax that Trump had “no power or delegated authority” to impose without Congress. Judge Leo Sorokin said the policy violated the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act, and vacated it “in its entirety.” The fee had raised the cost of new H-1B petitions from several thousand dollars to $100,000 for a program used by tech companies, hospitals, universities, and other employers to hire skilled foreign workers. The White House claimed Trump had “clear legal authority” to restrict entry and said the administration was “confident this order will be reversed on appeal,” pointing to a separate December ruling that upheld the fee. (CNN / CNBC / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)
\nA federal judge ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume processing asylum and immigration applications after striking down Trump administration policies that had frozen decisions for people from 39 travel-ban countries and stopped asylum adjudications worldwide. Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell said the agency acted without legal authority and “placed the lives of countless individuals on hold — solely by virtue of their countries of birth.” The policies, adopted after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, left immigrants waiting indefinitely for asylum, work permits, green cards, and citizenship decisions, including lawful permanent residents whose naturalization applications had stopped moving. (Reuters / CNN / The Hill / New York Times)
\nThe Trump administration moved to strip citizenship from 17 naturalized Americans accused of hiding crimes, fraud, or false identities when they applied. The Justice Department called it the largest denaturalization push in decades, but the cases still require federal judges to revoke citizenship through a rarely used, difficult court process. (New York Times / CBS News / NOTUS)
\n7/ Trump wants his acting director of national intelligence to “start the process” of firing “a lot of people” in the intelligence community. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no national security experience, but can serve for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation. Trump doesn’t plan to nominate Pulte for the role permanently, calling that an advantage because “you’re less shackled.” Trump also said ODNI, which oversees 18 intelligence agencies and units, is “unnecessary and/or too big,” “should maybe even be terminated,” and that Pulte should consider releasing classified documents related to the 2020 election. (Wall Street Journal / The Guardian / Reuters / The Hill)
\n8/ A federal lawsuit seeks to block Trump’s UFC fight on the White House South Lawn arguing the June 14 event violates National Park Service rules, lacked environmental review, and uses federal landmarks for a private, for-profit sports event. The Public Integrity Project sued the National Park Service, Interior Department, and Doug Burgum on behalf of two Virginia residents, saying the 92-foot “Claw” structure was built without congressional approval and that ceremonial weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial would turn “sacred ground” into a backdrop for “a for-profit cage fight.” The suit also claims UFC, Dana White, and Trump stand to benefit financially, citing VIP and sponsorship packages and Trump’s recent financial disclosure showing a $15,000-to-$50,000 investment in UFC parent company TKO. The White House called the lawsuit “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory,” saying the event is “no different” from other White House-hosted events. (Politico / NBC News / CNN)
\npoll/ 66% of Americans say a democratically elected government is important to the nation’s identity – down from 80% in 2021. (Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 148 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 883 days.
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", "summary": "Israel and Iran paused direct attacks after trading strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire; Trump denied that he ever promised not to start a war while defending his three-month war with Iran that he launched without congressional approval; Trump abruptly ended a “Meet the Press” interview after Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence supporting his false claims...", "date_published": "2026-06-08T17:17:17-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/04/day-1962/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/04/day-1962/", "title": "Day 1962: “Very smart.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1962trump-cba005.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Senate Republicans rejected multiple attempts to ban Trump from establishing his $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund”; John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to illegally retaining classified information; Trump will nominate Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense lawyer and the current acting attorney general, to lead the Justice Department; Trump won’t nominate his acting director of national intelligence for the job permanently following bipartisan criticism that Bill Pulte lacked the national security experience needed to oversee the 18 agencies that make up the intelligence community; and Trump pledged roughly $700 million in taxpayer money to revive the declining U.S. coal industry.
\n1/ Senate Republicans rejected multiple attempts to ban Trump from establishing his $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” even though acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers under oath that the Justice Department is “not moving forward with the fund, period.” The efforts to kill the fund came during an unrelated Senate amendment session on a separate $70 billion Republican bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the end of Trump’s term. Trump, meanwhile, said he still “love[s]” the “weaponization fund,” calling it “a beautiful thing” and “so important.” When asked whether the fund was dead or just on hold, Trump replied: “I’d have to ask the lawyers.” (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Associated Press / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
\n2/ John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to illegally retaining classified information under a deal with federal prosecutors that would reduce the 18-count case against Trump’s former national security adviser to one felony count of unlawful retention of national defense information. Bolton would pay $2.25 million and face a sentencing range from no prison time to five years behind bars, though a federal judge still has to accept the plea and decide his sentence. Prosecutors had accused Bolton of sending more than 1,000 pages of “diary-like” notes from his time in Trump’s first administration to two relatives through personal accounts while preparing his memoir. Bolton had previously pleaded not guilty and accused Trump of trying to “intimidate his opponents.” (CNN / Associated Press / Reuters / Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / NBC News)
\n3/ Trump will nominate Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense lawyer and the current acting attorney general, to lead the Justice Department. Blanche took over after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April, and has since pursued Trump’s perceived enemies, including securing a new indictment of former FBI Director James Comey over a social media photo of seashells. The nomination comes days after Blanche abandoned the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. (NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Associated Press / CBS News / CNN / Washington Post / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Reuters)
\n4/ Trump won’t nominate his acting director of national intelligence for the job permanently following bipartisan criticism that Bill Pulte lacked the national security experience needed to oversee the 18 agencies that make up the intelligence community. “We’re interviewing people right now,” Trump said, adding that Pulte is “somebody just to take it over for a little while.” Pulte, who also runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has used the job to pursue Trump’s political rivals over alleged mortgage fraud and attack Jerome Powell. Trump praised Pulte as “very smart.” (CNBC / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 152 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 887 days.
\n\nThe Kennedy Center ordered staff to remove Trump’s name from official materials and signage after a federal judge ruled that its board illegally added it to the performing arts center. Staff were told to immediately revert references to “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “the Kennedy Center,” with signage, brochures, ID cards, and website pages due by June 12. (Politico)
\nA federal planning commission advanced Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, but stopped short of final approval after its Trump-appointed chairman argued that D.C.’s height law may not apply to federal projects. The law caps most construction at 130 feet, and the commission’s own career staff said it has “always applied” the restriction to federal projects. The administration says it doesn’t need Congress’s approval and will give 14 days’ notice before construction, despite warnings from preservationists, residents, and veterans that the arch would tower over nearby monuments and alter the setting of Arlington National Cemetery. (Washington Post)
\nThe Justice Department reportedly told federal prosecutors to “get creative” in bringing charges against noncitizens who voted after an official said more than 90 investigations were open, but “languishing.” An associate deputy attorney general told prosecutors that the cases were a top priority and that immigrants convicted of that kind of fraud should be deported. (New York Times)
\nTrump pledged roughly $700 million in taxpayer money to revive the declining U.S. coal industry using emergency and Energy Department funds to extend the life of aging coal plants, subsidize the first new coal-burning power plants since 2013. Trump claimed the plan would lower energy prices with “clean, beautiful coal,” but experts say coal is more expensive to build and operate than natural gas and renewables, while burning it produces more air pollution and carbon emissions. (Bloomberg / New York Times)
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", "summary": "Senate Republicans rejected multiple attempts to ban Trump from establishing his $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund”; John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to illegally retaining classified information; Trump will nominate Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense lawyer and the current acting attorney general, to lead the Justice Department; Trump won’t nominate his acting director of national intelligence for the job...", "date_published": "2026-06-04T16:19:02-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/03/day-1961/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/03/day-1961/", "title": "Day 1961: “Double down on chaos.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1961trump-267d4e.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The House voted to block Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran, passing a war powers resolution after four Republicans joined Democrats; Senate Republicans advanced Trump’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill after stripping out $1 billion for his White House ballroom and forcing the administration to drop its $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; Congress’s effort to renew the warrantless surveillance program is in jeopardy after Trump named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, a political loyalist with no known intelligence experience, as acting director of national intelligence; the Trump administration proposed new tariffs between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners in an effort to revive Trump’s signature economic policy, which the Supreme Court ruled most were illegal; six states held primaries Tuesday that set up key midterm races; the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use a Republican-drawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts despite a unanimous three-judge panel finding that the plan intentionally discriminated against Black voters; CBS News fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley “for cause” after he confronted the show’s new executive producer and accused the network’s editor in chief of “murdering” the program; and the Trump administration hired a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant for a sensitive Pentagon counterterrorism job inside an office that handles highly classified military operations.
\n1/ The House voted to block Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran, passing a war powers resolution after four Republicans joined Democrats. It’s the first successful congressional rebuke of Trump’s military campaign after three failed attempts. The measure directs Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes the war. The 215-208 vote sends the resolution to the Senate, which advanced a similar measure last month on a procedural vote. Even if it passed both chambers, Trump would likely veto it, requiring two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override him. No war powers resolution has ever overcome a veto. The White House, meanwhile, has argued that the War Powers Act’s 60-day deadline doesn’t apply because “hostilities” ended with the ceasefire, even as the U.S. continues to enforce a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Hakeem Jeffries called it a “reckless and costly war of choice,” while Speaker Mike Johnson warned it was “a very dangerous prospect” to weaken Trump’s negotiating leverage. Marco Rubio added taht Iran would see the vote as a sign that Trump’s “hands are going to be tied.” (New York Times / Politico / NBC News / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNN / Reuters / Associated Press / Axios)
\n2/ Senate Republicans advanced Trump’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill after stripping out $1 billion for his White House ballroom and forcing the administration to drop its $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. The Senate voted 53-46 to begin debate on the package, which would fund ICE and Border Patrol through 2029, using budget reconciliation to avoid a Democratic filibuster and pass it with a simple majority. The ballroom money was removed after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it violated reconciliation rules and Republicans worried about defending taxpayer funding for Trump’s personal project while voters face cost-of-living pressures. The bill now heads into the amendment process before final Senate passage. House Republicans are hoping to pass it by the end of the week. (The Hill / CNN / New York Times / Associated Press / Bloomberg / CBS News)
\n3/ Congress’s effort to renew the warrantless surveillance program is in jeopardy after Trump named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, a political loyalist with no known intelligence experience, as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte would oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and Section 702, which allows warrantless collection of foreign targets’ communications but can also sweep up Americans’ messages. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune to pressure Trump into reversing the appointment, warning that Democrats wouldn’t renew those powers under someone with “no intelligence background” and “a record of misusing private information.” Sen. Chris Murphy said “the very nature of our collection” would be put in the hands of someone with “a history of seeking out private information for political gain.” Thune, meanwhile, said “we don’t need a weaponized” DNI. Republicans need Democratic votes before the June 12 deadline. (Punchbowl / Politico / Semafor / The Guardian / NPR / Bloomberg / The Hill)
\n4/ The Trump administration proposed new tariffs between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners in an effort to revive Trump’s signature economic policy, which the Supreme Court ruled most were illegal. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the countries failed to ban or enforce bans on goods made with forced labor, creating “an unlevel playing field” for American workers. Under the proposal, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, and others would face a 10% duty, while 12.5% tariffs would apply to China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and dozens more. Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, said “Washington is desperately searching for new legal grounds to sustain its tariff policy. Accusing the EU of all places of insufficient action against forced labor is absurd.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, denied the allegation, saying: “There is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in China.” (ABC News / Politico / The Guardian / CBS News / Washington Post)
\n5/ 🟦🟥 Primaries: Six states held primaries Tuesday that set up key midterm races. In Iowa, Republicans rejected Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra for governor and nominated Zach Lahn, who will face Democratic state auditor Rob Sand. Democrats also nominated Josh Turek, a state legislator and four-time Paralympian backed by party-aligned groups, to challenge Trump-backed Rep. Ashley Hinson for an open Senate seat. In California, Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra led Tom Steyer in the still-uncalled top-two governor’s primary with millions of ballots left to be counted. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a runoff, while Republican reality TV star Spencer Pratt and progressive Councilmember Nithya Raman are still competing for the second spot. In New Jersey, Democrats nominated former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett to challenge Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has missed more than 100 votes since March due to an unspecified medical issue. In New Mexico, Deb Haaland won the Democratic nomination for governor, while South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden was forced into a Republican runoff against businessman Toby Doeden. (Associated Press / Washington Post / ABC News / New York Times / NBC News / Reuters)
\n6/ The Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use a Republican-drawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts despite a unanimous three-judge panel finding that the plan intentionally discriminated against Black voters. The unsigned order lets Alabama to hold special congressional primaries on Aug. 11 under a never-before-used 2023 map that could help Republicans flip a Democratic seat and leave the state with one Black-majority district out of seven. More than one-quarter of Alabama’s residents are Black. The court’s conservative majority said the lower court failed to apply its new Voting Rights Act standard and “did not heed the presumption of legislative good faith.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, however, said the court had chosen “a chaotic election” under a map that “intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians,” adding: “Just as Alabama doubled down on racial discrimination, the Court today doubles down on chaos.” (CNN / Associated Press / New York Times / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / NBC News)
\n7/ CBS News fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley “for cause” after he confronted the show’s new executive producer and accused the network’s editor in chief of “murdering” the program. Nick Bilton said Pelley “hijacked” his first staff meeting as executive producer with “remarkable incivility and contempt,” while Bari Weiss told staff that “trust and mutual respect” had been broken and that management tried to “find a way back.” Pelley, however, disputed that, saying “Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true,” while also claiming that the new management told him to inject “falsehoods and bias” into a politically sensitive story and to let politicians choose “60 Minutes” correspondents for interviews. Pelley’s firing follows the dismissal of executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, as well as Anderson Cooper’s departure. (New York Times / NBC News / Politico / Washington Post / Axios / CNN / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 153 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 888 days.
\n\nSocial Security retirees could face an average $500 monthly cut in 2032 if Congress lets the retirement trust fund run dry, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The group says a projected 24% benefit cut would affect 63 million current beneficiaries unless Congress changes taxes, benefits, or funding before then. (CNBC)
\nThe Trump administration is diverting at least $90 million in national park entry fees to Washington, D.C. projects tied to July 4 and America’s 250th anniversary. The money includes $1.6 million for fireworks and $76 million for fountain repairs, even as the park system faces a $24 billion maintenance backlog and recent staffing cuts have already strained basic operations. (Washington Post)
\nThe White House is proposing to make billions in federal grants pass a political test before agencies can award them, requiring Trump appointees to certify that the money “demonstrably advance[s]” the president’s priorities. The rule would restrict grants for projects tied to DEI, voter registration, or “anti-American values,” while giving the administration broad power to terminate awards it later decides aren’t in the “public interest.” (New York Times)
\nFederal regulators are investigating whether George Santos illegally bet on a prediction-market contract tied to his own State of the Union attendance after Kalshi flagged the trades to the CFTC and Justice Department. Santos had told his followers he planned to attend, allegedly bet that he wouldn’t, and then skipped the speech. He called the accusation “preposterous.” (NBC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
\nThe Trump administration hired a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant for a sensitive Pentagon counterterrorism job inside an office that handles highly classified military operations. Elias Irizarry pleaded guilty after entering the Capitol through a broken window with a metal pole, later apologizing for bringing “great shame” on himself and the country. The Pentagon, nevertheless, defended him as “qualified” and “patriotic.” (Washington Post / NBC News)
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", "summary": "The House voted to block Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran, passing a war powers resolution after four Republicans joined Democrats; Senate Republicans advanced Trump’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill after stripping out $1 billion for his White House ballroom and forcing the administration to drop its $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; Congress’s effort to renew the warrantless surveillance program...", "date_published": "2026-06-03T15:53:37-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/02/day-1960/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/02/day-1960/", "title": "Day 1960: “We need professionals.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1960trump-31823e.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump’s $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead; Trump named Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence; Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that Trump hasn’t offered Iran sanctions relief simply to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Trump reportedly yelled “What the fuck are you doing?” at Benjamin Netanyahu during a call over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon; seven Democratic-led states sued to block the Trump administration’s taxpayer-funded deal paying TotalEnergies $795 million to walk away from an offshore wind lease and put the money toward oil and gas instead; the National Science Foundation will dismantle most of the $368 million Ocean Observatories Initiative; Trump signed a scaled-back AI order that asks companies to voluntarily give the government up to 30 days of early access to powerful new models before public release; and the White House Correspondents’ Association rescheduled its annual dinner after a gunman disrupted the April event.
\n1/ Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump’s $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead. Senate Republicans had threatened to hold up the roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement bill unless the White House killed the taxpayer-funded payout that was created through Trump’s settlement with his own IRS over the leak of his tax records. Lawmakers in both parties had also objected to the lack of oversight and the possibility that Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted police could collect payouts. “We’re not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche told lawmakers, while still defending the premise, saying “the reasons for the fund remain as important as they were before.” Blanche, however, left intact the settlement provision barring audits and tax-enforcement actions involving Trump, his family, and related businesses over past returns. “Nothing has changed with that,” Blanche said, while insisting “it’s not immunity.” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, meanwhile, accused him of giving Trump and his family “tax immunity to the tune of about $100 million.” (Politico / Reuters / New York Times / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)
\n2/ Trump named Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence. Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, has no known intelligence or national security experience, but will nevertheless oversee the 18-agency U.S. intelligence community while he continues to run FHFA and chair Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Pulte’s used his housing job to make or push mortgage fraud referrals against Trump’s perceived enemies, including Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Lisa Cook, and Eric Swalwell. “We don’t need a weaponized DNI,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. “We need professionals there.” Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican on the Intelligence Committee, added: “I don’t see any evidence of qualifications for that job.” Naming Pulte acting DNI allows Trump to bypass Senate confirmation for up to 210 days. (New York Times / NBC News / Politico / Axios / CNN / Associated Press / Reuters / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
\n3/ Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that Trump hasn’t offered Iran sanctions relief simply to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying any relief must be “condition-based” and tied to Tehran giving up nuclear activities. Rubio said Iran must declare the strait open, stop firing on or threatening commercial ships, help remove mines, and enter talks on “severe and long-term limitations” on its nuclear program while acknowledging that “it is not a guarantee” that any deal will be acceptable. He also pushed back on Iranian state media claims that the two sides had stopped exchanging messages, saying talks are continuing through intermediaries because “talks with Iran are not like talks with Switzerland.” Trump likewise claimed the reports were “false and erroneous,” saying talks had continued “four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today,” even though he said a day earlier that he “couldn’t care less” if Iran ended the negotiations, because they had “started to get very boring.” (New York Times / CNBC / Reuters / Washington Post)
\n4/ Seven Democratic-led states sued to block the Trump administration’s taxpayer-funded deal paying TotalEnergies $795 million to walk away from an offshore wind lease and put the money toward oil and gas instead. New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont argued that the Interior Department illegally canceled the New York-New Jersey lease without the required hearing or national security review, then used the Judgment Fund, a taxpayer-backed account for settling legal claims, even though TotalEnergies hadn’t sued the government. The project was expected to power roughly one million homes and businesses. (Reuters / Associated Press / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
\n5/ The National Science Foundation will dismantle most of the $368 million Ocean Observatories Initiative, removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments that scientists have used for a decade to track ocean currents, carbon absorption, marine heat waves, fisheries, coastal flooding, and climate change. NSF said the “descoping” would remove in-water infrastructure from four of the program’s five arrays, including the Irminger Sea station used to study the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, while leaving the Regional Cabled Array off Oregon in place for now. (New York Times / Scientific American / E&E News)
\n6/ Trump signed a scaled-back AI order that asks companies to voluntarily give the government up to 30 days of early access to powerful new models before public release. The policy, however, creates a review process that doesn’t require companies to participate or explain what happens if they don’t. The order nevertheless directs federal agencies to strengthen cyber defenses, create an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse, and develop classified benchmarks for deciding which “frontier” models warrant scrutiny, while explicitly saying it doesn’t authorize mandatory licensing, preclearance, or permitting. (Politico / Associated Press / CBS News / Washington Post / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal)
\n7/ The White House Correspondents’ Association rescheduled its annual dinner after a gunman disrupted the April event forcing Trump, JD Vance, Cabinet officials, journalists, and media executives to evacuate or take cover. WHCA president Weijia Jiang said the second dinner will be a “more intimate gathering” with “significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures,” and that members who bought tickets won’t have to pay again. (CNN / Reuters / CBS News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 154 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 889 days.
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", "summary": "Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump’s $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead; Trump named Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence; Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that Trump hasn’t offered Iran sanctions relief simply to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Trump reportedly yelled “What the fuck are you doing?” at Benjamin Netanyahu during a call over Israel’s...", "date_published": "2026-06-02T15:35:33-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/01/day-1959/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/06/01/day-1959/", "title": "Day 1959: “Very boring.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1959trump-cd7060.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump insisted that talks with Iran to extend the April ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set terms for future nuclear negotiations were continuing “at a rapid pace,” despite Iran’s state-affiliated media reporting that Tehran had suspended talks and was threatening to “completely block” the strait; White House economic director Kevin Hassett insisted that Americans are better off despite rising inflation, high gas prices, and worsening consumer sentiment; Trump plans to drop his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund after a federal judge blocked it; a federal judge ordered Trump to answer allegations that his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was a pretext to create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for his political allies; a federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center and blocked his handpicked board from closing the venue for a two-year renovation; former Attorney General Pam Bondi shifted responsibility for the release of the Epstein files to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche; a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted for breaching voting systems in search of election fraud in 2020 was released from prison; Trump will headline the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair after more than half of the performers withdrew saying they had been misled about the event’s political ties; and the White House released a medical memo from his third Walter Reed checkup in 13 months, saying Trump’s in “excellent health” and “fully fit” to serve despite persistent questions about bruising on his hands, swelling in his legs, and apparent drowsiness in televised meetings.
\n1/ Trump insisted that talks with Iran to extend the April ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set terms for future nuclear negotiations were continuing “at a rapid pace,” despite Iran’s state-affiliated media reporting that Tehran had suspended talks and was threatening to “completely block” the strait, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply. The report cited no source and wasn’t directly confirmed by Iranian officials, but oil prices jumped more than 7% anyway. Trump, meanwhile, said he “couldn’t care less” if negotiations were over, because they had “started to get very boring,” adding: “We’ll keep the blockade.” Separately, the U.S. said it struck Iranian radar and drone sites near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran downed an American drone, while Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward U.S. forces in Kuwait that CENTCOM said were intercepted. Iran’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. and Israel of violating the ceasefire “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” where Israel ordered new strikes near Beirut before Trump claimed Israel and Hezbollah had agreed that “all shooting will stop.” (CNBC / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / ABC News / CBS News / CNBC / CNN / Bloomberg / Associated Press / Reuters)
\n2/ White House economic director Kevin Hassett insisted that Americans are better off despite rising inflation, high gas prices, and worsening consumer sentiment. Hassett argued that Americans should “smooth through the ups and downs” and focus on real wages, even though the latest Labor Department report showed inflation (3.8%) was outpacing wage growth (3.6%). Gas prices, meanwhile, have jumped to $4.34 a gallon from $3.15 a year ago since. Gallup’s economic confidence index, meanwhile, fell to its lowest level since October 2022, and the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey hit its lowest level ever recorded. “People look at their wallets,” Hassett said, “and if they look at their wallets and look at how much money they have after the increase in prices, they’re going to find that they have a lot more money.” (Politico / ABC News / The Hill / ABC News / Associated Press)
\n3/ Trump plans to drop his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund after a federal judge blocked it. Lawmakers in both parties also objected to the possibility of taxpayer-funded payouts to Trump allies and Jan. 6 rioters. Two senior administration officials said the fund is “dead for now” and that the White House is “planning to respect the courts,” though one noted that “nothing is final until it’s final” because Trump still “likes the fund.” U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily barred the administration from transferring money into the fund, considering claims, or paying out funds until a June 12 hearing to “ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed.” (Axios / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Politico / Reuters / CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
\n4/ A federal judge ordered Trump to answer allegations that his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was a pretext to create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for his political allies. 35 former federal judges urged U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to reopen the case and investigate “grievous allegations” that the settlement was “premised on deception” and amounted to “serious misconduct.” Williams gave Trump’s lawyers until June 12 to address whether Trump colluded with his own government “to avoid judicial scrutiny” and filed “for the sole purpose of forcing a settlement.” Trump had sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, but the case was dismissed before the Justice Department filed a defense. The Justice Department then announced a settlement creating a nearly $1.8 billion fund for people described as victims of government weaponization. (New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico / Axios)
\n5/ A federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center and blocked his handpicked board from closing the venue for a two-year renovation, saying “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.” Judge Christopher Cooper said the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by rebranding the building as the “Trump Kennedy Center” and gave officials 14 days to remove Trump’s name from the building, website, and official materials. Cooper also temporarily halted the planned closure, calling the board’s March vote “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.” Trump responded by attacking Cooper as “an anti Trump Hater,” saying the judge “should be ashamed of himself,” and claiming the building was too dangerous to keep open because of “rotting beams,” parking areas “subject to collapse,” and other “Life and Safety problems.” He added that he had “no interest” in continuing the renovations unless he was “free” to run it his way, warned the center would “soon be closed, probably never to open again,” and claimed he’d ordered the Commerce Department to work with Congress on a “full and complete transfer” of the center’s operation, maintenance, and management. (NBC News / ABC News / The Guardian / The Hill / Associated Press / Reuters / CNN / Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post)
\n6/ Former Attorney General Pam Bondi shifted responsibility for the release of the Epstein files to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. During a closed-door House Oversight interview that wasn’t under oath or videotaped, Bondi said she “did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review” herself and delegated the review to Blanche. Democrats said DOJ lawyers blocked Bondi from answering questions about Trump, and will seek testimony from Blanche next with FBI Director Kash Patel “number two on the list.” (New York Times / Politico / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Washington Post)
\n7/ A former Colorado county clerk who was convicted for breaching voting systems in search of election fraud in 2020 was released from prison. Tina Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty, and other crimes after allowing an outside computer expert affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to access the county’s Dominion Voting Systems server during a 2021 software update. Gov. Jared Polis commuted her nearly nine-year sentence, saying Peters wasn’t innocent and that he disagreed with her false claims about the 2020 election, but argued that her sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a first-time, nonviolent offender. Shortly after leaving prison, Peters appeared on Steve Bannon’s podcast and claimed, without evidence, that Democrats “are going to cheat” in the midterms and that she had been imprisoned as “retribution” for exposing machines that “allow the votes to be flipped.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the clemency “an affront to our democracy” and said Peters’ release “will embolden the election denial movement.” (ABC News / CNN / Associated Press / Politico)
\n8/ Trump will headline the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair after more than half of the performers withdrew saying they had been misled about the event’s political ties. Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and the Time, and the Commodores all withdrew after the lineup was announced, with McBride saying she was offered “a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.” Trump, meanwhile, called the performers “Third Rate ‘Artists,’” suggested replacing the concerts with “a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY,” and said he would give “a major speech” to rally “the Country forward.” (Associated Press / NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / Wall Street Journal)
\n9/ The White House released a medical memo from his third Walter Reed checkup in 13 months, saying Trump’s in “excellent health” and “fully fit” to serve despite persistent questions about bruising on his hands, swelling in his legs, and apparent drowsiness in televised meetings. Trump reportedly scored 30 out of 30 on a cognitive screening, had normal cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and lab results, and showed “slight lower leg swelling” that had improved since last year’s diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. The memo also said Trump weighs 238 pounds (14 pounds more than last year) and was counseled to increase physical activity, lose weight, follow diet guidance, and take low-dose aspirin. Outside physicians, however, said the report left out standard details from Trump’s cardiovascular tests, including calcium, plaque, and artery-narrowing scores. (NBC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Washington Post / ABC News)
\n⏰ Dept. of I Ran Out of Time Today: Appeals court rules Trump policy illegally banned transgender troops from military; Scott Pelley accused CBS News boss of “murdering” 60 Minutes; and a Trump administration plan would allow for quick asylum rejections without interviews.
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 155 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 890 days.
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", "summary": "Trump insisted that talks with Iran to extend the April ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set terms for future nuclear negotiations were continuing “at a rapid pace,” despite Iran’s state-affiliated media reporting that Tehran had suspended talks and was threatening to “completely block” the strait; White House economic director Kevin Hassett insisted that Americans are better off despite...", "date_published": "2026-06-01T13:08:22-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/28/day-1955/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/28/day-1955/", "title": "Day 1955: “Makings of a deal.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1955trump-e20801.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: U.S. and Iranian negotiators moved toward a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that neither Trump nor Iran’s leadership has approved; a federal judge declined to block Trump’s executive order creating a federal voter list to limit mail-in voting; inflation accelerated to 3.8% in April, its highest level in nearly 3 years; the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll lied under oath; Trump refiled his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters over its report on a lewd birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein; White House adviser Peter Navarro initiated a Pentagon request for a $620 million loan to a startup tied to Trump Jr.’s venture firm; Trump bought more than $1 million in Dell stock before the Pentagon awarded Dell a $9.7 billion contract; Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s son quietly took a political appointee job as a Treasury Department lawyer while the Supreme Court handled cases involving the department; and Trump’s Treasury Department has prepared a design for a $250 bill with his portrait and signature, despite laws barring living people from U.S. currency.
\n1/ U.S. and Iranian negotiators moved toward a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that neither Trump nor Iran’s leadership has approved. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there were “perhaps” the “makings of a deal,” but said Trump’s terms still include reopening the strait, surrendering highly enriched uranium, and ending Iran’s nuclear program. The draft would let shipping resume while both sides negotiate Iran’s nuclear program, frozen assets, sanctions relief, and the U.S. blockade. The talks advanced despite new strikes, with U.S. forces hitting Iranian drones near Bandar Abbas and Kuwait intercepting an Iranian missile aimed toward a U.S. base. U.S. Central Command called the launch an “egregious ceasefire violation,” while Iran said it answered U.S. “aggression” and warned of a “more decisive” response. Meanwhile, Trump threatened to “blow up” Oman if the U.S. ally joined Iran in managing or tolling the strait, saying “nobody’s going to control it.” (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Associated Press)
\n2/ A federal judge declined to block Trump’s executive order creating a federal voter list to limit mail-in voting. The order directs federal agencies to use Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration data to build “state citizenship lists,” and tells USPS to deliver ballots to voters on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list. Judge Carl Nichols didn’t rule on whether the order is lawful, but said the challenge was premature because no citizenship lists had been created, no Postal Service ballot rule had been adopted, and no voter had yet been harmed. (New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News / NPR / Washington Post / Reuters / The Hill)
\n3/ Inflation accelerated to 3.8% in April, its highest level in nearly 3 years. Core inflation rose to 3.3%, while the savings rate fell to 2.6% and real disposable income fell. Initial jobless claims, meanwhile, increased by 5,000 to 215,000, while continuing claims rose to 1.79 million. (Politico / ABC News / Reuters / New York Times / CNN / Associated Press / NBC News / Reuters / Associated Press)
\n4/ The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll lied under oath about outside funding for her civil lawsuits against Trump. The investigation is based on a perjury theory already examined, at least in part, by the appeals court that upheld Trump’s $5 million sexual abuse and defamation judgment. In Carroll’s 2022 deposition statement, she said no one else was paying her legal fees, though lawyers later disclosed that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman helped cover some costs. The appeals court upheld the verdict against Trump and said Carroll had “plausibly represented” that she forgot about the limited funding, and that discovery showed she “simply was not involved” in who paid litigation costs. Carroll won two civil cases against Trump: a $5 million verdict in 2023 after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and an $83.3 million defamation award in 2024 over his later attacks on her. (CNN / Reuters / CBS News / NBC News / Associated Press)
\n5/ Trump refiled his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters over its report on a lewd birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denies writing or signing the “bawdy” birthday note that was typed inside a sketched outline of naked a woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and signed “Donald” below the waist to mimic pubic hair. A federal judge dismissed the original complaint, saying it lacked sufficient claims that the story was published with “actual malice” toward Trump. The revised suit says Trump called Murdoch before publication and denied writing the letter. Murdoch allegedly told him “I will handle it.” Dow Jones said it has “full confidence” in the reporting and will defend the case. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Reuters / CNN / The Hill)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 159 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 894 days.
\nWhite House adviser Peter Navarro initiated a Pentagon request for a $620 million loan to a startup tied to Trump Jr.’s venture firm. Trump Jr.’s firm took an undisclosed stake in Vulcan Elements about three months before the Pentagon announced a deal to help the company build a magnet facility and give the government a $50 million stake. The Pentagon denied political influence, while Trump Jr.’s spokesperson claims he had “no knowledge about how this deal came together.” (ProPublica)
\nTrump bought more than $1 million in Dell stock before the Pentagon awarded Dell a $9.7 billion contract. The purchase came nine days before Trump praised Michael Dell for pledging $6.25 billion to Trump’s child investment accounts program, telling people to “go out and buy a Dell computer.” (New York Times)
\nTrump’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission asked a judge to erase a $5 million Biden-era penalty against the crypto exchange run by prominent donors to Trump’s 2024 campaign. Gemini, run by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, settled the case weeks before Trump took office, after regulators accused it of making false statements tied to a bitcoin futures business. The agency now says the case should never have been filed, citing a whistleblower account it now calls not credible and describing Gemini as a fraud victim. (CNN)
\nA senior CIA official was arrested after investigators found 303 gold bars worth more than $40 million, about $2 million in cash, and dozens of luxury watches at his Virginia home. Court papers say David Rush received gold bars and foreign currency for work expenses, but the CIA later couldn’t locate much of it. Prosecutors charged him with stealing public money. The filings don’t explain why his work required that much gold or why it ended up at his house. (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times)
\nSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s son quietly took a political appointee job as a Treasury Department lawyer while the Supreme Court handled cases involving the department. Philip Alito works in Treasury’s general counsel office, which advises Secretary Scott Bessent, but his name doesn’t appear on the department’s website and his public bar listings are outdated. Samuel Alito didn’t recuse from a tariff case naming Treasury as a defendant, and his office didn’t respond to questions about the arrangement. (NOTUS)
\nTrump’s Treasury Department has prepared a design for a $250 bill with his portrait and signature, despite laws barring living people from U.S. currency. The Treasury claimed it was only doing “appropriate planning” for the stalled legislation needed to authorize the note. After resisting the effort, Bureau of Engraving and Printing Director Patricia Solimene was reassigned. She told colleagues in a goodbye email: “The buck stopped here.” (Washington Post / CNN / Associated Press)
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", "summary": "U.S. and Iranian negotiators moved toward a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that neither Trump nor Iran’s leadership has approved; a federal judge declined to block Trump’s executive order creating a federal voter list to limit mail-in voting; inflation accelerated to 3.8% in April, its highest level in nearly 3 years; the Justice Department opened...", "date_published": "2026-05-28T15:43:18-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/27/day-1954/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/27/day-1954/", "title": "Day 1954: “I don’t care about the midterms.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1954trump-ce0ec8.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said “I don’t care about the midterms” and wouldn’t let the upcoming election or Iranian state media reports rush him into a deal; Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas, turning Trump’s late endorsement into a 28-point rejection of Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term incumbent; Alabama asked the Supreme Court to let it use a 2023 congressional map that would likely give Republicans six of the state’s seven House seats by eliminating a second Black-majority or near-majority district; Biden sued the Justice Department to block the release of about 70 hours of private audio recordings and transcripts from 2016 and 2017 interviews with his ghostwriter; Jill Biden said she was “frightened” that Joe Biden was “having a stroke” during his June 2024 debate against Trump; Trump appointed former Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House science and technology advisory council; the Trump administration agreed to pay $13.1 million in a no-bid contract to a first-time federal contractor to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool; 58% of Americans say Trump has made the economy worse; 25% of Latino Trump voters said they would not vote for him again; Democrats lead Republicans by almost 6 points on the House generic ballot; and 12% of Americans said the worst thing about Republicans is their loyalty to Trump, while 10% said the worst thing about Democrats is that they’re weak and don’t stand up to Trump.
\n1/ Trump said “I don’t care about the midterms” and wouldn’t let the upcoming election or Iranian state media reports rush him into a deal. “They thought they were going to outwait me, you know? We’ll outwait him, he’s got the midterms,” Trump said, suggesting that Tehran believed the elections would force U.S. concessions. Trump, however, claimed Iran was “negotiating on fumes” and said talks were going “nicely,” but warned that the U.S. would “finish the job” if he was “not satisfied” with the terms. The White House, meanwhile, dismissed an Iranian state media report about a draft agreement as a “complete fabrication.” Trump also rejected any Iran-Oman control of the strait, saying “nobody’s going to control” the waterway while warning that Oman would have to “behave” or “we’ll have to blow them up.” Talks remain stuck over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, and Iran’s enriched uranium. (New York Times / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Reuters / Washington Post / CBS News / ABC News)
\n2/ Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas, turning Trump’s late endorsement into a 28-point rejection of Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term incumbent. Paxton now faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November, forcing Republicans to defend a seat they had treated as safe while trying to protect their Senate majority. Republican leaders had backed Cornyn and warned that Paxton’s legal and ethical history, weaker fundraising, and polarizing record could make Texas more expensive. Paxton, the state attorney general, was impeached and acquitted, settled a securities-fraud case without admitting wrongdoing, and has lagged Talarico in fundraising. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994. (Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Politico / Washington Post / Associated Press)
\n3/ Alabama asked the Supreme Court to let it use a 2023 congressional map that would likely give Republicans six of the state’s seven House seats by eliminating a second Black-majority or near-majority district. It’s the first major test of the court’s April Voting Rights Act ruling, which made vote-dilution claims harder by requiring proof of discriminatory intent. Alabama said that ruling “vindicates” its 2023 map, even though a unanimous three-judge panel blocked it, finding the plan was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination” in violation of the 14th Amendment. The state accused the judges of acting as if the new Supreme Court ruling “changed nothing,” arguing it “did not intentionally discriminate by declining to intentionally discriminate.” (Politico / New York Times / Associated Press / Reuters / CBS News / CNN)
\n4/ Biden sued the Justice Department to block the release of about 70 hours of private audio recordings and transcripts from 2016 and 2017 interviews with his ghostwriter. The recordings were obtained during Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation, which ended without charges. The Justice Department plans to release redacted materials to the House Judiciary Committee and the Heritage Foundation on June 15 unless a judge intervenes. Biden’s lawyers said the release would violate his privacy and called the committee request pretextual. The Justice Department said the recordings should be public so Americans can judge his “mental acuity.” (Politico / CNN / New York Times / ABC News / Reuters / NBC News)
\n5/ Trump appointed former Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House science and technology advisory council, adding her to a panel focused on AI policy. Bondi will help coordinate between the government and tech executives on the council, including Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison. JD Vance called Bondi “an enormously valuable asset,” while David Sacks said she would advise on legal and regulatory issues. Bondi will also serve in a new national infrastructure advisory role while recovering from thyroid cancer treatment. (Axios / The Hill)
\n6/ The Trump administration agreed to pay $13.1 million in a no-bid contract to a first-time federal contractor to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. A National Park Service analysis found that Atlantic Industrial Coatings’ bid carried an “inflated” 20% profit margin that staff called “excessive.” The Interior Department defended the price as the cost of rushing the work before July 4. Park Service documents, meanwhile, showed that the contractor initially failed two tests to seal the leaking slab gaps, the main problem it was hired to fix. (New York Times)
\npoll/ 58% of Americans say Trump has made the economy worse, and 41% say Trump is responsible for the cost-of-living problems people are facing today. (Strength in Numbers)
\npoll/ 25% of Latino Trump voters said they would not vote for him again, and 67% disapprove of his job performance. In 2024, Trump won 48% of Latino voters – a 12-point increase from 2020. Axios / CBS News)
\npoll/ Democrats lead Republicans by almost 6 points on the House generic ballot, and nearly 6% of Republicans say they plan to vote for a Democratic House candidate in November. (FiftyPlusOne)
\npoll/ 12% of Americans said the worst thing about Republicans is their loyalty to Trump. 10% said the worst thing about Democrats is that they’re weak and don’t stand up to Trump. (ABC News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 160 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 895 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump said “I don’t care about the midterms” and wouldn’t let the upcoming election or Iranian state media reports rush him into a deal; Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas, turning Trump’s late endorsement into a 28-point rejection of Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term incumbent; Alabama asked the Supreme Court to let it use a...", "date_published": "2026-05-27T16:36:12-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/26/day-1953/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/26/day-1953/", "title": "Day 1953: “Checked out.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1953trump-64c167.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: A federal court blocked Alabama Republicans from using a congressional map that was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination”; the U.S. struck Iranian missile sites and boats it claimed were laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz, calling the attacks “self-defense”; the Trump administration proposed a governmentwide nondisclosure agreement for federal employees in an effort to crackdown on leaks; Trump declared that “everything checked out PERFECTLY” after what he called a “6 month physical” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; construction began on a temporary UFC octagon on the White House South Lawn for Trump’s planned fights to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.; and 37% of Americans approve Trump’s job performance.
\n1/ A federal court blocked Alabama Republicans from using a congressional map that was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.” The 2023 map would’ve likely flipped a Democratic House seat. Alabama argued that the Supreme Court’s April ruling, which narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, allowed the state to reuse the map after the justices sent the case back for review. The three-judge panel, however, rejected that argument, saying the map still violated the 14th Amendment, because lawmakers intentionally diluted Black voting power. Alabama must use the court-drawn 2024 map for now, while Attorney General Steve Marshall called the blocked plan “blandly unobjectionable” and said the state would immediately appeal, adding: “It is not a matter of whether we win this case, only when.” (Politico / CNN / New York Times / CBS News / NBC News / Associated Press / ABC News / Washington Post / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal)
\n2/ The U.S. struck Iranian missile sites and boats it claimed were laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz, calling the attacks “self-defense.” Iran called the strikes a “grave violation” of the ceasefire and warned it would not leave “any act of hostility unanswered.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said negotiators were still working through “specific language” and that a deal could take “a few days.” The working deal reportedly would stop the fighting and reopen Hormuz first, and then give negotiators 30 to 60 days to address Iran’s enriched uranium, sanctions, and missile program. (New York Times / ABC News / CBS News / Washington Post / Politico / Reuters / NBC News / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNN)
\n3/ The Trump administration proposed a governmentwide nondisclosure agreement for federal employees in an effort to crackdown on leaks. The agreement is described as voluntary, but employees who refuse to sign could face removal or debarment. The proposal preserves whistleblower protections and will face a 30-day public comment period. (Washington Post / The Hill / Politico / Bloomberg / Associated Press / The Guardian)
\n4/ Trump declared that “everything checked out PERFECTLY” after what he called a “6 month physical” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his third visit to the facility in 13 months as the oldest person ever elected president. The White House described the appointment, which lasted more than three hours, as “routine annual dental and medical assessments” and part of his “regular preventative healthcare.” Trump, who turns 80 next month, has faced questions over bruised hands, swollen legs, a neck rash, and a chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis. His physician has previously described him as in “exceptional health,” with “exceptional” lab results. (New York Times / Bloomberg / NPR / CNN / Associated Press / Reuters / The Hill / CBS News)
\n5/ Construction began on a temporary UFC octagon on the White House South Lawn for Trump’s planned fights to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. The June 14 event, branded “UFC Freedom Fights 250,” falls on Flag Day and Trump’s 80th birthday. Trump has claimed the South Lawn will seat about 4,000 people, with 75,000 to 100,000 more watching free on screens at the Ellipse. The White House called it “one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history.” (ABC News / New York Times / The Hill)
\npoll/ 37% of Americans approve Trump’s job performance, with 60% disapproving. 39% say prices are the single most important problem facing the country, and Trump’s net approval on prices and inflation has fallen to -47 – a record low. (Strength in Numbers)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 161 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 896 days.
\nTulsi Gabbard will resign as director of national intelligence on June 30, citing her husband’s diagnosis with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer.” Trump said Principal Deputy Director Aaron Lukas will serve as acting DNI, temporarily overseeing the office that coordinates 18 intelligence agencies. Gabbard’s departure follows months of reported tension with the White House over Iran, national security decisions, and her role in domestic election matters. Trump, meanwhile, said Gabbard did “an incredible job.” (Fox News / Reuters / Associated Press / NPR / Politico / CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)
\nTrump defended the Justice Department’s nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” claiming he “gave up a lot of money” by allowing it to proceed, and could have settled his IRS tax-leak case for “an absolute fortune.” Instead, he said he chose to help others get “JUSTICE!” despite his earlier claim that he “wasn’t involved” in the fund’s creation or settlement. Meanwhile, a fired Jan. 6 prosecutor, a law professor, New Haven, Common Cause, and the National Abortion Federation sued to block the fund, arguing it’s an unauthorized and politically selective payout system for Trump allies. (Associated Press / CNN / CBS News)
\nA federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s human-smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, calling it a vindictive prosecution for fighting his illegal deportation. Judge Waverly Crenshaw said prosecutors reopened a dormant 2022 traffic-stop case only after courts ordered the government to facilitate his return. Abrego Garcia still faces separate deportation proceedings. (New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters / Politico / Wall Street Journal / ABC News)
\nThe Secret Service fatally shot a 21-year-old after he opened fire at a White House checkpoint while Trump was inside. Nasire Best reportedly approached the checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, pulled a gun from a bag, and fired at officers. A bystander was also shot and hospitalized with a non-life-threatening wound. Best was arrested in 2025 near another White House checkpoint after entering a restricted area and telling officers he was Jesus Christ. (NBC News / Washington Post / Axios)
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", "summary": "A federal court blocked Alabama Republicans from using a congressional map that was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination”; the U.S. struck Iranian missile sites and boats it claimed were laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz, calling the attacks “self-defense”; the Trump administration proposed a governmentwide nondisclosure agreement for federal employees in an effort to crackdown on leaks; Trump declared...", "date_published": "2026-05-26T16:41:27-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/21/day-1948/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/21/day-1948/", "title": "Day 1948: “A galactic blunder.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1948trump-c1c9a4.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Democratic National Committee released its 192-page draft autopsy of the 2024 election after refusing for months to make it public, saying it wanted to avoid “a distraction”; Senate Republicans abandoned plans to pass Trump’s $70 billion bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol after the Justice Department tried to attach his $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; Trump eased EPA limits on greenhouse gases used in refrigerants; Trump postponed his planned AI and cybersecurity executive order hours before a White House signing ceremony; Trump-appointed Commission of Fine Arts approved his 250-foot triumphal arch; and 54% of non-MAGA Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing as president.
\n1/ The Democratic National Committee released its 192-page draft autopsy of the 2024 election after refusing for months to make it public, saying it wanted to avoid “a distraction.” DNC Chair Ken Martin, however, conceded that that decision “ended up creating an even bigger distraction,” saying he was “not proud of this product.” While Martin said the report was released “for full transparency,” the document disavow the report on every page with a disclaimer saying the DNC could not “independently verify the claims presented.” The report blamed Biden’s White House for failing to “position or prepare” Harris to run, faulted Harris for not making an “affirmative case” why voters should support her, and said Democrats wrongly assumed Trump’s weaknesses were “baked in.” It also said Trump’s “Kamala is for they/them” ad was “very effective” and left Harris “boxed” in, while arguing that she “wrote off rural America” and relied too heavily on urban and suburban margins. The document also largely overlooked Biden’s age, Gaza, Israel, the party’s late switch to Harris after Biden quit without a nominating process. DNC annotations in the report flagged errors, missing sourcing, and conclusions with “no evidence provided.” (New York Times / NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post / Axios / Politico / Wall Street Journal / CBS News / Associated Press / CNN / The Guardian)
\n2/ Senate Republicans abandoned plans to pass Trump’s $70 billion bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol after the Justice Department tried to attach his $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spent nearly two hours defending the fund behind closed doors, but senators said he failed to answer basic questions about its rules, including who would decide claims, what evidence would be required, and whether Jan. 6 defendants who assaulted police officers could receive taxpayer payouts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it “would have been nice” if the White House had consulted senators, while Lisa Murkowski said the administration “dropped a bomb” into the bill, and Ron Johnson called it a “galactic blunder.” The collapse sends Congress into a Memorial Day recess and leaves ICE and Border Patrol funding stalled alongside a separate $1 billion request tied to Trump’s White House ballroom security. (Politico / NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)
\n3/ Trump eased EPA limits on greenhouse gases used in refrigerants. Trump claimed that the Biden-era mandate to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons was “ridiculous, unnecessary, and costly and actually makes the machinery worse,” while EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the Biden-era rules “piled on costly, unattainable restrictions.” However, Trump signed the legislation mandating a reduction in HFC chemicals into law in 2020, which was implemented in 2023 under Biden. Inflation in the U.S., meanwhile, increased to 3.8% annually in April, driven by the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs. (Associated Press / The Guardian / CNN / Bloomberg / New York Times / Axios)
\n4/ Trump postponed his planned AI and cybersecurity executive order hours before a White House signing ceremony, saying he “didn’t like certain aspects” and feared it could “get in the way” of the U.S. lead over China. The draft order would’ve created a voluntary federal review process to test for cybersecurity risks for advanced AI models before public release. Trump didn’t identify which provisions he opposed, but the delay came amid concerns that the order could look like federal pre-approval of frontier AI models. (Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg / CBS News / Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal)
\npoll/ 35% of voters said they believed A.I. to be mostly bad, while 16% said it was mostly good, and 45% said it was neither good nor bad. (New York Times)
\nSo, is WTFJHT written by AI? No. All content is researched, written, and curated by me (Matt 👋), an IRL human working out of my basement in Seattle, WA. The editorial judgment, sourcing, writing, and editing of WTFJHT, as well as the personal accountability for corrections, errors, and omissions, will always be uniquely my human responsibility. (Plus my persistent typos are a giveaway that a human wrote it) The ethical and moral dilemmas related to AI are pretty consequential, and I won’t pretend to have arrived at a coherent point of view beyond generative AI slop being lame, cheap, and destructive. But I’m clear on one thing: I will only use AI tools and related technology that help me scale my labor, not replace it. WTFJHT’s AI use policy & pledge
\n5/ The Trump-appointed Commission of Fine Arts approved his 250-foot triumphal arch. The advisory panel approved a revised design that removed lions, a platform, and tunnel access, but kept the golden figures Trump wanted on top. The project still needs National Capital Planning Commission review on June 4. (Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)
\npoll/ 54% of non-MAGA Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing as president. Overall, 80% of Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing – a new low. (Fox News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 166 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 901 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The Democratic National Committee released its 192-page draft autopsy of the 2024 election after refusing for months to make it public, saying it wanted to avoid “a distraction”; Senate Republicans abandoned plans to pass Trump’s $70 billion bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol after the Justice Department tried to attach his $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; Trump eased EPA...", "date_published": "2026-05-21T15:21:07-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/20/day-1947/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/20/day-1947/", "title": "Day 1947: “A little bit nasty.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1947trump-9e501a.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Federal Reserve officials warned that it might need to raise interest rates in inflation remains above its 2% target; Trump claimed the U.S. was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran “or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty,” while also insisting, “I’m in no hurry”; Senate Republicans removed the $1 billion Secret Service provision tied to Trump’s White House ballroom from an immigration enforcement bill after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it was outside the bill’s budget rules; police officers who came under attack by Jan. 6 rioters sued to block Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund”; Republicans backed by Trump won or led primaries in Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky; and the Trump administration plans to move ahead with Trump’s 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery without congressional approval, instead relying on a 101-year-old authorization for a different, unbuilt project at the same site.
\n1/ Federal Reserve officials warned that it might need to raise interest rates in inflation remains above its 2% target. U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% in April – the highest level in nearly three years – driven largely by energy prices increasing due to the Iran war. Since last year, energy prices are up nearly 18%. Trump, meanwhile, said incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh can “do what he wants to do” after repeatedly pressuring Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Futures markets now put 60% odds on at least one hike by year-end. (New York Times / Reuters / Axios /Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
\n2/ Trump claimed the U.S. was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran “or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty,” while also insisting, “I’m in no hurry.” Tehran, meanwhile, warned that it would retaliate beyond the Middle East if the U.S. or Israel renews strikes. “We’ll see what happens,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. could wait “a few days” for the “right answers.” The U.S. is demanding that Iran give up nuclear enrichment and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran is demanding sanctions relief, control over Hormuz traffic, and an end to the U.S. blockade of its ports. (Bloomberg / New York Times / CNBC / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / NBC News)
\n3/ Senate Republicans removed the $1 billion Secret Service provision tied to Trump’s White House ballroom from an immigration enforcement bill after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it was outside the bill’s budget rules. Republican leaders also concluded they lacked the votes. The draft text had explicitly named the East Wing Modernization Project and allowed for the money to fund “above-ground and below-ground security features,” despite Trump claiming that donors, not taxpayers, were paying for the ballroom. While the White House told senators that only $220 million could go toward the ballroom and broader White House “hardening,” several Republicans objected to using an immigration bill to advance the project. Meanwhile, Trump demanded that Republicans fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, falsely claiming Obama helped appoint her and warning them to “get smart and tough.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, however, declined, saying “most of the issues we have here are votes,” while Sen. John Kennedy said plainly: “The votes aren’t there.” (Politico / Washington Post)
\n4/ Police officers who came under attack by Jan. 6 rioters sued to block Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” arguing the Justice Department used Trump’s IRS tax-leak settlement to create an unauthorized payout system for people claiming “weaponization” and “lawfare.” The officers called it a “slush fund” and that payments to riot participants would violate the 14th Amendment’s ban on funding obligations “incurred in aid of insurrection.” The money would come from the federal Judgment Fund and be distributed by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general. (Politico / CNBC / Bloomberg / NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / Washington Post / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal)
\n5/ Republicans backed by Trump won or led primaries in Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky, extending his control over Republicans even as his overall approval rating has slipped into the mid-30s. In Kentucky, Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie, one of Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics in Congress. More than $32 million in ad spending was spent on the race – the most expensive House primary ever. Trump also helped Rep. Andy Barr win the Republican nomination for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat. And in Georgia, Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones advanced to a June 16 runoff for governor against billionaire Rick Jackson, while Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger failed to advance. In 2020, Raffensperger refused Trump’s demand to “find” enough votes to flip the state in his favor. (NPR / New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / Washington Post / ABC News / Reuters / CNN / NBC News)
\n6/ The Trump administration plans to move ahead with Trump’s 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery without congressional approval, instead relying on a 101-year-old authorization for a different, unbuilt project at the same site. Even though federal law requires congressional approval for monuments on protected land, the Justice Department argued that Congress already approved the project when it ratified a bridge commission report in 1925 calling for 166-foot columns for a different project. (Washington Post)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 167 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 902 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Federal Reserve officials warned that it might need to raise interest rates in inflation remains above its 2% target; Trump claimed the U.S. was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran “or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty,” while also insisting, “I’m in no hurry”; Senate Republicans removed the $1 billion Secret Service...", "date_published": "2026-05-20T15:39:21-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/19/day-1946/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/19/day-1946/", "title": "Day 1946: “There are no conflicts of interest.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1946trump-af8c73.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump’s Justice Department expanded his IRS settlement to include a provision ending all pending tax audits of him, his family, and his businesses; the Senate voted to advance a war powers resolution that would require Trump to end military action against Iran without congressional authorization; Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas’ Republican Senate runoff; JD Vance defended Trump’s 3,700-plus stock trades in the first three months of 2026; Affordable Care Act enrollment could fall by nearly 5 million people this year after pandemic-era subsidies expired; Trump called the White House ballroom project “a gift” funded by him and private donors; and 55% of Republicans want the party’s next nominee for president to follow Trump’s lead, but 37% want the party to move in a different direction.
\n1/ Trump’s Justice Department expanded his IRS settlement to include a provision ending all pending tax audits of him, his family, and his businesses. The one-page addendum was signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche one day after the Trump administration agreed to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The fund was part of a deal for Trump to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against his own government over leaked tax records. The addendum says the IRS is “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED” from pursuing “examinations” of Trump, “related or affiliated individuals,” and related trusts and businesses. Meanwhile, Blanche and JD Vance separately declined to rule out payments to Jan. 6 defendants, with Vance saying “anybody can apply” and Blanche adding: “My feelings don’t matter.” (Washington Post / Politico / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / CNBC)
\n2/ The Senate voted to advance a war powers resolution that would require Trump to end military action against Iran without congressional authorization. While the procedural vote didn’t end the war, four Republicans joined Democrats to advance the resolution after seven failed attempts. The measure, however, still needs a final Senate vote, House passage, and an almost certain Trump veto. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / CNBC / Bloomberg / ABC News)
\n3/ Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas’ Republican Senate runoff. The endorsement came after early voting began and immediately angered Senate Republicans, who warned that Paxton could put a normally safe seat at risk against Democrat James Talarico. Trump, nevertheless, called Paxton a “true MAGA Warrior” and blamed Cornyn for not supporting him “when times were tough.” (Texas Tribune / New York Times / CBS News / Politico / Bloomberg / NPR)
\n4/ JD Vance defended Trump’s 3,700-plus stock trades in the first three months of 2026, calling it “absurd” to suggest that Trump is sitting in the “Oval Office on his computer on his, like, Robinhood account, buying and selling stocks.” The disclosure showed trades in companies with business before his administration, including firms Trump has “talked up at events” and in social media posts. The White House, however, said “there are no conflicts of interest” because Trump’s assets “are in a trust managed by his children.” (CNBC / Bloomberg)
\n5/ Affordable Care Act enrollment could fall by nearly 5 million people this year after pandemic-era subsidies expired Jan. 1. Average premium payments rose 58%, while deductibles jumped 37%. Enrollment is expected to drop from 22.3 million in 2025 to about 17.5 million in 2026, a decline of about 22%. The average deductible rose by more than $1,000, to $3,786, as many enrollees shifted into cheaper bronze plans. (Washington Post / CBS News / NPR / Associated Press)
\n6/ Trump called the White House ballroom project “a gift” funded by him and private donors. The comment follows the Senate parliamentarian blocking a Republican attempt to include taxpayer money for ballroom-related security work in an unrelated immigration enforcement bill. The administration estimates that about $220 million of the $1 billion Secret Service provision would go toward security work tied to the ballroom project. Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t publicly disclosed how much he’s personally contributed, but insisted that “all of this was paid for by myself.” (Politico / ABC News / Washington Post)
\npoll/ 55% of Republicans want the party’s next nominee for president to follow Trump’s lead, but 37% want the party to move in a different direction. (New York Times)
\n⏭️ Notably Next: Tuesday is the busiest primary election day of the 2026 midterms so far. Here’s what you need to know.
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 168 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 903 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump’s Justice Department expanded his IRS settlement to include a provision ending all pending tax audits of him, his family, and his businesses; the Senate voted to advance a war powers resolution that would require Trump to end military action against Iran without congressional authorization; Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas’ Republican Senate...", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:04:03-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/18/day-1945/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/18/day-1945/", "title": "Day 1945: “Pull the trigger.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1945trump-ef5547.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump postponed a previously unannounced attack on Iran after Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates asked him to “hold off”; Trump’s Justice Department settled Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS by creating a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people claiming they were targeted by the government for political purposes; Trump helped defeat a Republican senator who voted to convict him after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol; the Supreme Court rejected Virginia Democrats’ emergency effort to use a new, voter-approved congressional maps; Minnesota prosecutors charged an ICE agent with four felony assault counts and falsely reporting a crime in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge in January; the EPA proposed repealing drinking water limits for four “forever chemicals”; 76% of Americans are concerned about their personal finances; and 64% of voters think Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran.
\n1/ Trump postponed a previously unannounced attack on Iran after Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates asked him to “hold off.” Trump claimed Gulf leaders told him “serious negotiations are now taking place” and that “a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable” because it would include “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” Trump, however, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine to remain ready for a “full, large scale assault” on “a moment’s notice” if talks fail. Iran, meanwhile, insisted it wouldn’t give up its enrich uranium and warned that Iranian forces were “ready to pull the trigger.” (Reuters / Axios / CNBC / Bloomberg / New York Times / NBC News / Politico)
\n2/ Trump’s Justice Department settled Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS by creating a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people claiming they were targeted by the government for political purposes. A five-member commission appointed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will decide payouts and issue “formal apologies” through Dec. 15, 2028. Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization, who sued over the leak of their tax records by a former IRS contractor, will receive a formal apology, but no money. The deal also ends Trump’s separate claims seeking damages over the Russia investigation and the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago. It comes two days before a judge had ordered Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department to explain whether the case presented a real legal dispute or if Trump is suing “entities whose decisions are subject to his direction.” While Blanche called it “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization,” Rep. Jamie Raskin called it “pure fraud and highway robbery” and a slush fund for “insurrectionists, rioters, and white supremacists.” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called it “one of the single most corrupt acts in American history.” (Associated Press / New York Times / Reuters / Politico / Axios / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNN / NPR / NBC News / CBS News / CNBC)
\n3/ Trump helped defeat a Republican senator who voted to convict him after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bill Cassidy finished third behind Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary, sending Letlow and Fleming to a June 27 runoff. Trump had endorsed Letlow and celebrated Cassidy’s defeat, writing that his “disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now part of legend” and that “his political career is OVER.” Cassidy also provided the critical vote needed to confirm Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last year despite concerns about Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism. (NPR / New York Times / Bloomberg / Axios / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Reuters)
\nTrump called Rep. Thomas Massie “the Worst Republican Congressman in History” and urged Kentucky Republicans to “vote the bum out.” After Massie voted against his tax-and-spending bill, sponsored a measure to stop his Iran strikes, and helped force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files, Trump endorsed Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL. Massie accused outside billionaires of trying to “buy a seat.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, campaigned in Kentucky for Gallrein ahead of Tuesday’s Republican primary. The Pentagon said he appeared in a “personal capacity” and that no taxpayer dollars supported the trip. (NBC News / ABC News / New York Times / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / The Hill)
\nTrump threatened to back a primary challenger against Rep. Lauren Boebert after she campaigned for Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky. He called Boebert “weak-minded” and said he would withdraw his endorsement “if the right person came along.” Boebert said she was “not mad or offended” and “knew the risks” of supporting Massie. (Reuters / The Hill)
\n4/ The Supreme Court rejected Virginia Democrats’ emergency effort to use a new, voter-approved congressional maps, which could have given Democrats up to four more House seats in the midterms. The unsigned, one-sentence order left the Virginia Supreme Court ruling intact. The state court said lawmakers began the amendment process after early voting had started for the 2025 general election, leaving Virginia’s current 6-5 Democratic map in place. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / CNN / NBC News / New York Times / NPR / CBS News / Associated Press)
\n5/ Minnesota prosecutors charged an ICE agent with four felony assault counts and falsely reporting a crime in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge in January. Prosecutors said Christian Castro fired through a closed front door after agents chased another man to the Minneapolis home, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg while adults and children were inside. (CNN / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n6/ The EPA proposed repealing drinking water limits for four “forever chemicals,” rolling back part of the Biden administration’s first national PFAS rule meant to cut exposure for about 100 million people. (Washington Post)
\npoll/ 76% of Americans are concerned about their personal finances, and 29% say Trump’s economy is good. (CBS News)
\npoll/ 64% of voters think Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran. 59% disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president. (New York Times)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 169 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 904 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump postponed a previously unannounced attack on Iran after Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates asked him to “hold off”; Trump’s Justice Department settled Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS by creating a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people claiming they were targeted by the government for political purposes; Trump helped defeat a Republican senator who...", "date_published": "2026-05-18T16:22:06-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/14/day-1941/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/14/day-1941/", "title": "Day 1941: “Like having a bachelor party at a church.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1941trump-d8cc5c.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court preserved nationwide mail and telehealth access to mifepristone; U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigned; Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the U.S. “improperly” handles Taiwan; the EPA proposed relaxing wastewater limits for coal-fired power plants; FBI Director Kash Patel took a military-coordinated “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona memorial; the Trump administration wants to build Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch using an existing, unrelated White House engineering contract; Trump allies want the July 4 fireworks show in Washington to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest fireworks display; and 45% of Kamala Harris voters said Democrats should redraw House maps to help the party win more seats, even if that weakens some districts designed to protect Black and minority voters.
\n1/ The Supreme Court preserved nationwide mail and telehealth access to mifepristone, blocking a lower court order that would have reinstated in-person dispensing rules. The unsigned order keeps the FDA’s 2023 policy in place while Louisiana’s challenge continues, leaving medication abortion access unchanged for now. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Thomas writing that the manufacturers’ “are not entitled to a stay of an adverse court order based on lost profits from their criminal enterprise.” The case returns to the 5th Circuit. (NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Reuters / The Hill / The 19th / CBS News / ABC News)
\n2/ U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigned. Banks oversaw Border Patrol during Trump’s immigration crackdown and deployment of agents inside U.S. cities. Rodney Scott, the Customs and Border Protection commissioner, thanked Banks for delivering “the most secure border ever recorded.” His departure follows Kristi Noem’s removal, Gregory Bovino’s retirement, and Todd Lyons’s expected exit from ICE. When asked, Banks said “it’s just time” for him to leave the agency. (Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / ABC News / CBS News)
\n3/ Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the U.S. “improperly” handles Taiwan, a democratically self-ruled island that Beijing claims as part of its territory. Xi called “the Taiwan question” “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,” saying it could put “the entire relationship in great jeopardy.” The White House readout of the meeting, however, didn’t mention Taiwan, saying only that Trump and Xi had “a good meeting” and agreed the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open” and free of tolls. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil. Iranian outlets, meanwhile, said Tehran allowed some Chinese ships through the strait. (CNBC / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / Politico / Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / CBS News)
\n4/ The EPA proposed relaxing wastewater limits for coal-fired power plants. The rule required plants to reduce toxic heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, and selenium, before dumping wastewater into waterways. The EPA said the change could cut power costs by up to $1.1 billion a year. However, in 2024 the EPA estimated that the rule would reduce 660 million to 672 million fewer pounds of pollution and provide $3.2 billion in annual public health benefits. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the change is needed because the “AI and data center revolution” requires a “power demand that cannot be met under the overly restrictive policies of past administrations.” (Associated Press)
\n5/ FBI Director Kash Patel took a military-coordinated “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona memorial. The Pearl Harbor military cemetery is normally closed to swimmers and divers. The FBI didn’t disclose the swim, but instead said Patel’s Pearl Harbor visit was part of his official travel. Government, however, emails showed military officials arranged the logistics. One Marine veteran called it inappropriate for Patel and other political figures to snorkel or dive at the memorial, saying: “It’s like having a bachelor party at a church. It’s hallowed ground. It needs to be treated with the solemnity it deserves.” (Associated Press)
\n6/ The Trump administration wants to build Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch using an existing, unrelated White House engineering contract. Emails show that the Park Service asked if the engineering firm AECOM’s White House contract could cover an environmental assessment at Memorial Circle, more than a mile away. While the White House approved the idea within an hour, it’s unclear whether the Park Service used the contract. (Washington Post)
\n7/ Trump allies want the July 4 fireworks show in Washington to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest fireworks display. The group leading the event says the finale would run more than 30 minutes and require more than 810,904 fireworks. The event will be treated as a National Special Security Event. Organizers, however, didn’t say what it’ll cost or whether taxpayers will help pay for it. (Axios)
\npoll/ 45% of Kamala Harris voters said Democrats should redraw House maps to help the party win more seats, even if that weakens some districts designed to protect Black and minority voters. Another 32% said Democrats should preserve those majority-minority districts, even if it means winning fewer seats. (Politico)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 173 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 908 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The Supreme Court preserved nationwide mail and telehealth access to mifepristone; U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigned; Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the U.S. “improperly” handles Taiwan; the EPA proposed relaxing wastewater limits for coal-fired power plants; FBI Director Kash Patel took a military-coordinated “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona memorial; the...", "date_published": "2026-05-14T16:05:58-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/13/day-1940/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/13/day-1940/", "title": "Day 1940: “Major red flags.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1940trump-3230e2.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Senate Republicans blocked a resolution to stop Trump’s war with Iran for the seventh time; the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair; U.S. producer prices rose 1.4% in April and 6% from a year earlier; the Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid reimbursements from California; the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is investigating ICE’s $38 billion warehouse-to-detention program; Trump’s Justice Department is discussing whether to settle Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, an agency he oversees; and the White House is considering a plan for Trump to issue 250 pardons to mark America’s 250th birthday.
\n1/ Senate Republicans blocked a resolution to stop Trump’s war with Iran for the seventh time. However, Republican Lisa Murkowski joined Rand Paul and Susan Collins in supporting the Democratic measure, leaving it one vote short. The Trump administration claims the April ceasefire “terminated” hostilities, making congressional authorization unnecessary. But U.S. forces remain deployed in the region, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claims Trump can resume strikes without Congress. “It doesn’t appear that hostilities have ended,” Murkowski said. (CBS News / New York Times / The Hill / Washington Post / Associated Press)
\n2/ The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair in a 54-45 vote. Warsh will replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends Friday. Powell, however, plans to remain on the Board of Governors. Terms for governors last 14 years, while the chair’s term lasts four years. Warsh, who replaces Stephen Miran on the board, has pledged independence, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren called him a “sock puppet” for Trump. Inflation tied to the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs has complicated Trump’s demand for lower interest rates, and markets are currently not expecting a June rate cut. (CNBC / Bloomberg / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
\n3/ U.S. producer prices rose 1.4% in April and 6% from a year earlier – the biggest annual increase since late 2022. Energy costs led the increase, with gasoline up 15.6%, with services, trade margins, and shipping costs also rising. The data followed a 3.8% annual increase in consumer prices. (Associated Press / CNBC / Reuters / New York Times / Axios)
\n4/ The Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid reimbursements from California. JD Vance claimed California had “not taken fraud very seriously,” while Mehmet Oz said the state must “come to the table” to explain outlier billing. Oz said California’s records showed “major red flags,” including $630 million in billing, $500 million in home health services, and $200 million in questionable spending. California, however, disputed the accusation, saying its home care program grew because it’s “keeping more people OUT of far more expensive nursing homes.” CMS also imposed a six-month freeze on new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies, but current Medicaid beneficiaries and existing Medicare providers aren’t supposed to lose coverage or services. (Reuters / Associated Press / CBS News / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Politico)
\n5/ The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is investigating ICE’s $38 billion warehouse-to-detention program. Under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS paid at least $1 billion for nine facilities, while ICE bought 11 vacant warehouses that weren’t zoned for detention at Noem’s direction. New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has since paused the plan. (Wall Street Journal)
\n6/ Trump’s Justice Department is discussing whether to settle Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, an agency he oversees. Trump sued after a former IRS contractor leaked his tax records, claiming the agency “wrongly allowed” a “rogue, politically-motivated employee” to disclose them. The talks come as U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams is questioning whether Trump and the IRS are truly opposing parties, since Trump is both the plaintiff and the president overseeing the defendant agency. Options under discussion include having the IRS drop audits of Trump, his family, and his businesses, paying Trump taxpayer funds, or giving him some other unspecified public benefit as part of a pre-deadline settlement. (New York Times / CNN)
\n7/ The White House is considering a plan for Trump to issue 250 pardons to mark America’s 250th birthday. The discussions are preliminary, and some officials have raised concerns about granting so many pardons before the midterms. There were more than 16,000 formal pardon requests last year. (Wall Street Journal)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 174 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 909 days.
\nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Senate Republicans blocked a resolution to stop Trump’s war with Iran for the seventh time; the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair; U.S. producer prices rose 1.4% in April and 6% from a year earlier; the Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid reimbursements from California; the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is investigating ICE’s...", "date_published": "2026-05-13T16:32:32-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/12/day-1939/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/12/day-1939/", "title": "Day 1939: “Every American understands.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1939trump-e87a73.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation” as a motivation for negotiations with Iran; U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% in April, the highest level in nearly three years; the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years – nearly seven times more than Trump’s $175 billion estimate; Trump called a journalist “a dumb person” after she noted that the cost of his White House ballroom project had doubled from $200 million to $400 million; Marty Makary resigned as FDA commissioner after 13 months; the Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to revive a Republican-drawn House map with only one majority-Black district, likely giving Republicans six of the state’s seven seats; Democrats called for Rep. Jen Kiggans to resign after she agreed with a radio host’s comment that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia”; and during a late-night Truth Social posting spree, Trump baselessly called Obama a “traitor,” a “demonic force,” and part of a coup.
\n1/ Trump said he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation” as a motivation for negotiations with Iran – “not even a little bit.” Trump said the “only thing” that matters is Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.” Trump added that “Every American understands.” (Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / CBS News / NBC News)
\n2/ U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% in April – the highest level in nearly three years. Consumer prices rose 0.6% from March, with energy accounting for more than 40% of the monthly increase, with gasoline prices up 5.4%. Core inflation rose 2.8% from a year earlier, while real average hourly wages fell 0.5% from March – meaning prices rose faster than pay. (NPR / New York Times / Reuters / NBC News / CNBC / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n3/ The Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years – nearly seven times more than Trump’s $175 billion estimate. Congress has approved about $24 billion for the program. The system would add ground- and space-based interceptors, sensors, and orbiting weapons, including a space-based interceptor layer of 7,800 satellites. The CBO said the system would still be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack from Russia or China. (Associated Press / Bloomberg / ABC News / Reuters)
\n4/ Trump called a journalist “a dumb person” after she noted that the cost of his White House ballroom project had doubled from $200 million to $400 million. Trump claimed the project remained “under budget,” because he had “doubled the size.” He then called MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner “not a smart person” when she asked about rising costs for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation. The White House, meanwhile, tried to justify the $1 billion East Wing funding request as a security package and not ballroom funding. It shared a document with Senate Republicans listing $220 million for White House hardening, $180 million for visitor screening, $175 million for Secret Service training, and hundreds of millions more for improving security for Secret Service protectees, drones, and national events. (MS Now / The Hill / Axios)
\n5/ Marty Makary resigned as FDA commissioner after 13 months, ending a tenure marked by mass layoffs, senior leadership departures, and erratic policy decisions on drugs, vaccines, abortion pills, and vapes. Trump named Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s top food regulator and a lawyer with no medical degree, as acting commissioner. Makary’s exit followed pressure from Trump to approve fruit-flavored vapes, which he’d resisted because of their appeal to young people. Trump called him “a great doctor” who was “having some difficulty.” (Reuters / New York Times / NBC News / CBS News / Associated Press / Politico)
\n6/ The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to revive a Republican-drawn House map with only one majority-Black district, likely giving Republicans six of the state’s seven seats. The Supreme Court didn’t explain why its Louisiana ruling narrowing the Voting Rights Act should also reverse a separate finding that Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters. Alabama passed the 2023 map after courts ordered a second district be drawn where Black voters could elect their preferred candidate. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, meanwhile, warned that the court had “unceremoniously” discarded the lower court’s ruling and would “unleash chaos.” (New York Times / CBS News / CNN / NBC News / ABC News / Associated Press / Politico)
\n7/ Democrats called for Rep. Jen Kiggans to resign after she agreed with a radio host’s comment that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.” Kiggans later said the host “should not have used that language” and that she was agreeing only that Jeffries should stay out of Virginia politics. Jeffries’ office called it a “stunning failure of judgment,” while House Democratic leaders and the Congressional Black Caucus demanded her resignation. Republicans, meanwhile, called it a “nothing-burger.” Kiggans is currently running for reelection in one of the country’s most competitive House races. (Axios / New York Times / Reuters / Politico / NBC News)
\n8/ During a late-night Truth Social posting spree, Trump baselessly called Obama a “traitor,” a “demonic force,” and part of a coup. He demanded that Obama be arrested for “treachery, treason, and seditious conspiracy,” while reviving the debunked claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. “Arrest them all. Prosecute them all. Incarcerate them all at once,” before adding: “But first, Barack Obama.” Trump also attacked the New York Times, posted AI-style images tied to Iran, and repeated his false claims about the 2020 election. The White House declined to comment on the more than 50 posts Trump sent. (Washington Post / The Guardian / CNN / New Republic)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 175 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 910 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump said he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation” as a motivation for negotiations with Iran; U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% in April, the highest level in nearly three years; the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years – nearly seven times more than Trump’s $175 billion estimate; Trump...", "date_published": "2026-05-12T15:45:49-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/11/day-1938/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/11/day-1938/", "title": "Day 1938: “A piece of garbage.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1938trump-8731d1.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest counterproposal as a “piece of garbage” and “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”; Trump endorsed suspending the federal 18.4-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax after his war with Iran pushed the average pump price to $4.52 a gallon; the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner pleaded not guilty to four federal charges; the Supreme Court temporarily preserved nationwide access to mifepristone by mail and telehealth; the Virginia Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s voter-approved congressional redistricting plan; ABC accused the FCC of violating its First Amendment rights; and preservation group sued to stop Trump’s no-bid repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
\n1/ Trump said the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest counterproposal as a “piece of garbage” and “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” Iranian state media said Tehran demanded war reparations, sanctions relief, recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, and an end to the U.S. blockade. Iran called its terms “reasonable,” “generous,” and limited to its “legitimate rights,” but Trump said Tehran had “changed their mind” on allow the U.S. to remove its enriched uranium. Trump, meanwhile, accused Iran’s leadership of being run by “lunatics.” (New York Times / Politico / NBC News / Bloomberg / CNBC / CBS News / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / CNN / The Hill / The Guardian / Reuters / Axios)
\n2/ Trump endorsed suspending the federal 18.4-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax after his war with Iran pushed the average pump price to $4.52 a gallon. “We’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time,” Trump said, calling the savings “still money” and predicting that prices would “drop like a rock” when the war ends. Congress, however, would have to approve any pause, which would also cut revenue for highways and public transit. Last week, the White House said suspending the federal gas tax wasn’t “currently under consideration.” (Reuters / Associated Press / Axios / Bloomberg / Washington Post / CBS News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)
\n3/ The man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner pleaded not guilty to four federal charges. Cole Tomas Allen allegedly traveled from California with guns and knives, then tried to rush a Washington Hilton security checkpoint. Prosecutors say he fired a shotgun and hit a Secret Service officer’s ballistic vest. Allen faces up to life in prison if convicted. (Associated Press / ABC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / CBS News / NBC News / CNBC)
\n4/ The Supreme Court temporarily preserved nationwide access to mifepristone by mail and telehealth. Justice Samuel Alito extended an administrative stay until 5 p.m. May 14, blocking a 5th Circuit ruling that would require in-person dispensing and suspend telehealth access. Louisiana had sued to revive those limits, arguing FDA rules undermine its abortion ban, while mifepristone manufacturers warned the ruling could disrupt national drug regulation. (NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times)
\n5/ The Virginia Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s voter-approved congressional redistricting plan, blocking Democrats from drawing a map that could have given them as many as 10 of the state’s 11 U.S. House seats. In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the Democratic-led legislature violated the state constitution’s amendment process by acting after early voting had begun, and leaving the April referendum “null and void.” The ruling didn’t judge the map’s fairness and Virginia will use the current 6-5 Democratic map. (Associated Press / Politico / CNBC / NPR / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n6/ ABC accused the FCC of violating its First Amendment rights, arguing that the agency’s review of “The View” marks a “major shift in policy and practice” that could “chill critical protected speech.” The filing came after the FCC ordered ABC’s Houston station to file a petition asking whether “The View” still qualified for its 2002 exemption from equal-time rules, following Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s February appearance. ABC called the demand “unprecedented” and asked the agency to reaffirm its long-standing treatment of the show as a “bona fide news interview program.” (Bloomberg / CNN / CBS News / The Verge / New York Times / NBC News)
\n7/ A preservation group sued to stop Trump’s no-bid repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying officials began changing a historic landmark without the required review. Federal records show that the contract to paint the surface blue was $13.1 million, more than 7 times Trump’s estimate of $1.8 million. The Cultural Landscape Foundation said the blue coating would make the pool resemble a resort feature, while Interior said “American Flag Blue” paint will improve the visitor experience. (Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / CNN / CBS News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 176 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 911 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump said the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest counterproposal as a “piece of garbage” and “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”; Trump endorsed suspending the federal 18.4-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax after his war with Iran pushed the average pump price to $4.52 a gallon; the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’...", "date_published": "2026-05-11T13:13:49-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/07/day-1934/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/07/day-1934/", "title": "Day 1934: “Very serious problems.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1934trump-033d2f.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Chief Justice John Roberts claimed that Supreme Court justices aren’t “political actors” and that the court isn’t a political institution; Tennessee Republicans enacted a new congressional map that breaks up majority-Black Memphis, likely eliminating the state’s only Democratic House seat; Trump called for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “INCITING VIOLENCE,” in an attempt to link Jeffries’ “maximum warfare” language about redistricting to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting; a federal judge let the Justice Department keep more than 600 boxes of 2020 election ballots and records seized from Fulton County, Georgia, despite finding flaws in the FBI warrant; the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s 10% tariff on most imports was illegal; and 80% of Americans support age caps for members of Congress.
\n1/ Chief Justice John Roberts claimed that Supreme Court justices aren’t “political actors” and that the court isn’t a political institution. The defense comes a week after the court’s 6-3 conservative majority narrowed the Voting Rights Act’s protection for majority-Black congressional districts, opening the door for Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps. Since then Florida has enacted a new map that could add four more Republican House seats in November’s midterm election, while Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina are all moving to redraw their maps targeting Democratic districts. While Roberts didn’t address that ruling, he insisted that the court is “not simply part of the political process” and doesn’t make “policy decisions,” rather they just decide “what the law provides.” He called “considered criticism” fair, but warned that personal attacks on judges can become “problematic” and lead to “very serious problems.” (Politico / CNN / NBC News / Associated Press / Reuters)
\n2/ Tennessee Republicans enacted a new congressional map that breaks up majority-Black Memphis, likely eliminating the state’s only Democratic House seat. Republican Gov. Bill Lee promptly signed it into law after lawmakers repealed Tennessee’s ban on mid-decade redistricting. Republicans now have a path to sweep of all nine U.S. House seats. The move follows last week’s Supreme Court ruling narrowing Voting Rights Act protections for majority-Black districts. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / ABC News / NPR)
\n3/ Trump called for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “INCITING VIOLENCE,” in an attempt to link Jeffries’ “maximum warfare” language about redistricting to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. Jeffries used the phrase at an April 22 news conference about Democratic redistricting efforts, saying Democrats wanted “a fair national map.” The phrase also echoed language from a person close to Trump, who described the White House’s political strategy as “Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” Jeffries dismissed Trump’s post as “another deranged rant,” saying Trump was “threatening to criminally prosecute me” and asking: “What’s wrong with you, bro?” (Politico / The Hill / Daily Beast)
\n4/ A federal judge let the Justice Department keep more than 600 boxes of 2020 election ballots and records seized from Fulton County, Georgia, despite finding flaws in the FBI warrant. Judge J.P. Boulee called parts of the FBI warrant “troubling” and “defective,” but said the county hasn’t shown the government acted with “callous disregard.” The ruling allows the investigation into alleged election “irregularities” to continue. Georgia counted its 2020 presidential vote three times, each confirming Biden’s win. The Justice Department is separately seeking personal information on 2020 election workers. (New York Times / Bloomberg / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News / ABC News / Politico / Associated Press / Reuters)
\n5/ The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s 10% tariff on most imports was illegal and that he exceeded his authority under the Trade Act of 1974. The court said Section 122 didn’t allow Trump to treat trade deficits as “balance-of-payments deficits,” the legal criteria he cited after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier tariffs. The court for now only immediately blocked the administration from enforcing the tariffs against the two companies that sued and Washington state, making clear that it was not issuing a so-called “universal injunction.” The ruling limits enforcement against the two companies and Washington state that sued, stopping short of a nationwide injunction. (Associated Press / Bloomberg / Reuters / New York Times / CBS News / Politico / ABC News)
\npoll/ 80% of Americans support age caps for members of Congress. 83% support term limits for members of Congress. (NPR)
\n⏰ Dept. of I Ran Out of Time: A federal judge released Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide note; FBI Director Kash Patel gives away personalized bourbon bottles engraved with his name, title, and FBI shield; and Kamala Harris might run for president for a third time, saying “I’m thinking about it.”
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 180 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 915 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Chief Justice John Roberts claimed that Supreme Court justices aren’t “political actors” and that the court isn’t a political institution; Tennessee Republicans enacted a new congressional map that breaks up majority-Black Memphis, likely eliminating the state’s only Democratic House seat; Trump called for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “INCITING VIOLENCE,” in an attempt to link Jeffries’...", "date_published": "2026-05-07T15:55:36-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/06/day-1933/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/06/day-1933/", "title": "Day 1933: “You all started it.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1933trump-f1bdf8.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The FBI searched the office of a Virginia Democratic state lawmaker who helped lead the state’s redistricting plan earlier this year; Trump helped defeat at least five incumbents in Indiana’s Republican primaries that had blocked his mid-decade redistricting plan; Tennessee Republicans unveiled a proposed congressional map that would eliminate the state’s only Democratic U.S. House; the FBI reportedly launched a criminal leak investigation into the Atlantic writer who reported about concerns over Director Kash Patel’s drinking and conduct; Iran is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war even as Trump threatened Tehran “if they don’t agree, the bombing starts […] a much higher level and intensity”; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; 87% of Americans have a negative view of Trump’s social media post depicting himself as Jesus; 63% of Americans blame Trump for the increase in gas prices; and 61% of Americans say the country used to be a great place for immigrants, but not anymore.
\n1/ The FBI searched the office of a Virginia Democratic state lawmaker who helped lead the state’s redistricting plan earlier this year. FBI agents executed a search warrant at Sen. L. Louise Lucas’ office and a neighboring cannabis dispensary she co-owns as part of a corruption investigation into possible marijuana-related bribery that began under Biden. Lucas has not been charged. The search came weeks after Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional map. Lucas helped push Virginia’s mid-decade redistricting plan that could give Democrats up to four more House seats. After Republicans complained that the new Virginia map was unfair, Lucas replied: “You all started it and we fucking finished it.” (Fox News / Associated Press / New York Times / CBS News / NBC News / Bloomberg / Politico / Washington Post)
\n2/ Trump helped defeat at least five incumbents in Indiana’s Republican primaries. The senators had helped block his mid-decade redistricting plan that could’ve helped Republicans target Indiana’s two remaining Democratic U.S. House seats. Trump-aligned groups spent more than $12 million on races that usually draw little national attention. In Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy won the Republican nomination for governor, while Sherrod Brown advanced to a U.S. Senate race against Jon Husted that could help decide control of the chamber. In Michigan, Democrat Chedrick Greene won a state Senate special election, giving Democrats another off-year win and securing their majority in the chamber. (Washington Post / Politico / Axios / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN / ABC News / Associated Press / The Guardian / CBS News / NBC News)
\n3/ Tennessee Republicans unveiled a proposed congressional map that would eliminate the state’s only Democratic U.S. House seat. The plan would divide majority-Black Shelby County across three districts and give Republicans a shot at a 9-0 delegation. Lawmakers, however, must first repeal Tennessee’s ban on mid-decade redistricting and pass new election rules before the August primary. (NBC News / Axios / Politico / New York Times / The Hill)
\n4/ The FBI reportedly launched a criminal leak investigation into the Atlantic writer who reported about concerns over Director Kash Patel’s drinking and conduct. Patel has sued The Atlantic and Sarah Fitzpatrick for $250 million, claiming the story was false, while the magazine said it stands by the reporting and will defend its staff against “government harassment.” The FBI, meanwhile, said “no such investigation” exists, calling it “completely false.” (MS Now / New Republic / The Atlantic)
\n5/ Iran is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war even as Trump threatened Tehran “if they don’t agree, the bombing starts […] a much higher level and intensity.” Hours later, Trump said the U.S. had “won” the war and held “very good talks” with Iran, adding: “We’re in good shape” but “we have to get what we have to get.” The reported one-page memo would start 30 days of talks on the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, frozen funds, and limits on Iran’s nuclear program. (New York Times / CNBC / NPR / CBS News / Axios / Associated Press / Reuters / ABC News / CNN / Bloomberg)
\n6/ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Justice Department files showed Lutnick visited Epstein’s private island in 2012, four years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, and then kept in contact after he previously said he cut ties in 2005. Committee Chairman James Comer said Lutnick was “forthcoming” but “wasn’t 100% truthful,” adding that the transcript would let “the American people judge.” Democrats, meanwhile, called Lutnick “evasive, nervous” and “dishonest,” and described his answers as “contortions and lies.” The interview wasn’t videotaped, which Democrats called part of an “egregious cover-up.” Lutnick is the first sitting Trump Cabinet official questioned as part of the panel’s Epstein investigation. (Associated Press / NBC News / MS Now / Bloomberg / New York Times / ABC News / The Guardian / CBS News / CNBC)
\npoll/ 87% of Americans have a negative view of Trump’s social media post depicting himself as Jesus. 9% had a positive reaction. Trump later deleted the image. (Washington Post)
\npoll/ 63% of Americans blame Trump for the increase in gas prices, including 32% of Republicans and 63% of independents. (NPR)
\npoll/ 61% of Americans say the country used to be a great place for immigrants, but not anymore, while 27% feel the country is currently a great place for immigrants, and 10% say the U.S. was never a great for immigrants. (Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 181 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 916 days.
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", "summary": "The FBI searched the office of a Virginia Democratic state lawmaker who helped lead the state’s redistricting plan earlier this year; Trump helped defeat at least five incumbents in Indiana’s Republican primaries that had blocked his mid-decade redistricting plan; Tennessee Republicans unveiled a proposed congressional map that would eliminate the state’s only Democratic U.S. House; the FBI reportedly launched a...", "date_published": "2026-05-06T15:23:21-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/05/day-1932/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/05/day-1932/", "title": "Day 1932: “Insane in the brain.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1932trump-3edec2.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump paused Project Freedom after one day, citing “Great Progress” toward a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran while keeping the U.S. blockade “in full force and effect”; Marco Rubio urged Iran to negotiate, saying “the time’s come for Iran to make a sensible choice,” but added that its leaders are “insane in the brain”; Pete Hegseth dismissed reports about Iranian “kamikaze dolphins,” saying: “I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t”; Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran; Senate Republicans proposed $1 billion for Secret Service security upgrades tied to Trump’s ballroom project, despite Trump’s repeated promises that the project would use “ZERO taxpayer funding”; soil and debris from the demolished White House East Wing tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals; and Fulton County asked a federal judge to block a Justice Department subpoena seeking the personal information for thousands of 2020 election workers.
\n1/ Trump paused Project Freedom after one day, citing “Great Progress” toward a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran while keeping the U.S. blockade “in full force and effect.” Earlier in the day, Trump declined to define whether Iranian attacks on U.S. forces, commercial vessels, and the UAE had breached the ceasefire, saying: “You’ll find out, because I’ll let you know.” However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said Operation Epic Fury “is concluded” and that the U.S. had shifted to a defensive Strait of Hormuz mission, saying “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.” Rubio also urged Iran to negotiate, saying “the time’s come for Iran to make a sensible choice,” but added that its leaders are “insane in the brain.” Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed reports about Iranian “kamikaze dolphins,” saying: “I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t.” (New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / Reuters / CBS News / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / CNBC / CNN / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Politico)
\n2/ Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, falsely claiming the pope thinks “it’s OK” for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Leo, however, has never said that and he rejected the claim, saying the church has “no doubt” opposed nuclear arms. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, will meet with Leo at the Vatican on Thursday for what U.S. Ambassador Brian Burch called a “frank conversation” on U.S. policy. Rubio said the trip was planned before the dispute and that “there’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican.” (The Guardian / Wall Street Journal / New Republic / NBC News / Bloomberg / Reuters)
\n3/ Senate Republicans proposed $1 billion for Secret Service security upgrades tied to Trump’s ballroom project, despite Trump’s repeated promises that the project would use “ZERO taxpayer funding.” The money is included in a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement bill, which says the funds can’t pay for “non-security elements.” Nevertheless, the White House said Congress had “rightly recognized the need” to harden the “long overdue” project. Democrats, meanwhile, plan to force a floor vote on the provision, while Republicans are trying to move it through a party-line bill. (CNN / Politico / New York Times / ABC News / Washington Post / NBC News)
\n4/ Soil and debris from the demolished White House East Wing tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals after being dumped at East Potomac Golf Links. While the National Park Service said the site didn’t exceed legal environmental limits and the Interior Department said the transfer was “safe for the public,” some samples, however, exceeded California’s industrial lead threshold and normal chromium levels. (New York Times / The Hill / The Guardian)
\n5/ The Education Department opened a Title IX investigation into Smith College, a women’s college in Massachusetts, for allegedly violating federal sex discrimination laws by allowing transgender women to enroll and access women’s housing, bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights claimed “an all-women’s college loses all meaning” if it admits “biological males.” (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
\n6/ The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The New York Times, alleging that it denied a promotion to a white male editor because of race and sex. The lawsuit claims the Times diversity goals influenced the 2025 hiring process for deputy real estate editor and violated federal civil rights law. The Times, meanwhile, rejected the case as “politically motivated” and said that neither race nor gender played a role. (Washington Post / The Guardian / New York Times / Axios)
\n7/ Fulton County asked a federal judge to block a Justice Department subpoena seeking the personal information for thousands of 2020 election workers. The subpoena demands names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails for county employees, temporary workers, volunteers, and poll workers. County lawyers called the request “grossly overbroad” and that it was meant to “target, harass, and punish” Trump’s perceived political opponents. In January, the FBI seized Fulton County’s 2020 ballots and records as part of a federal investigation tied to Trump’s false claims that he lost Georgia because of voter fraud. (Associated Press / CNN / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News)
\n🟦🟥 Primaries: Tuesday’s primaries in Indiana and Ohio will test Trump’s hold over Republican politics. In Indiana, Trump is trying to oust seven Republican state senators who blocked his effort for a friendlier House map. In Ohio, primaries for governor, Senate, and House will shape November contests that could help decide control of Congress. (NPR / NBC News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 182 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 917 days.
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", "summary": "Trump paused Project Freedom after one day, citing “Great Progress” toward a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran while keeping the U.S. blockade “in full force and effect”; Marco Rubio urged Iran to negotiate, saying “the time’s come for Iran to make a sensible choice,” but added that its leaders are “insane in the brain”; Pete Hegseth dismissed reports about...", "date_published": "2026-05-05T17:19:06-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/04/day-1931/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/05/04/day-1931/", "title": "Day 1931: “Blown off the face of the Earth.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1931trump-30ed09.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: U.S. forces shot down Iranian missiles and drones and destroyed six Iranian small boats after Trump began moving commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz as part of “Project Freedom”; the Supreme Court temporarily restored mail and telehealth access to mifepristone; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map that could give Republicans 24 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats; and 62% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president – a record high from his two terms in office.
\n1/ U.S. forces shot down Iranian missiles and drones and destroyed six Iranian small boats after Trump began moving commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz as part of “Project Freedom.” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels crossed under U.S. military protection and that U.S. forces had “opened a passage through the Strait of Hormuz to allow for the free flow of commerce to proceed.” Iran had warned that ships crossing without its permission faced “serious risks.” The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and blamed an Iranian drone strike for a large fire at its Fujairah oil port, while Oman reported an attack near Emirati territory, and Seoul said a South Korean-operated ship caught fire after an explosion in the same area. Trump, meanwhile, said Iran had taken “some shots at unrelated Nations,” and warned Iranian forces that they’d be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they targeted U.S. ships. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Bloomberg / CNN / The Guardian / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
\nOn Friday, Trump told Congress that hostilities with Iran were “terminated,” arguing that the April 7 ceasefire meant the 60-day War Powers deadline no longer required congressional authorization. The letter said there has been “no exchange of fire” with Iran since the ceasefire, though U.S. forces were still enforcing a blockade and remain positioned to resume strikes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the ceasefire “pauses, or stops” the clock. (Politico / Axios / New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC)
\nOn Saturday, Trump compared the U.S. Navy to “pirates” while describing the seizure of a ship as part of his blockade of Iranian ports. “We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, took over the oil,” Trump said, calling it “a very profitable business.” (Reuters / The Guardian)
\nOn Sunday, Trump said the U.S. would start guiding foreign commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “Project Freedom” and warning that interference would be met “forcefully.” Iran warned it would strike U.S. forces if they attempt to approach the strait. (Washington Post / Axios / Bloomberg / CNBC / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal)
\nTrump ordered 5,000 U.S. troops out of Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. has “no strategy” for leaving the war and that “an entire nation is being humiliated” by Iranian leaders who are “very skillfully not negotiating.” The Pentagon claimed the withdrawal followed a force posture review. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / New York Times)
\n2/ The Supreme Court temporarily restored mail and telehealth access to mifepristone. Justice Samuel Alito Jr. paused a 5th Circuit order that would’ve prevented providers from prescribing the pills by telemedicine and shipping them to patients. Two manufacturers of mifepristone asked the Supreme Court to intervene, saying the appeals ruling created “immediate confusion and upheaval” for patients, providers, pharmacies, and the drug-regulatory system. Louisiana, which bans most abortions, had argued that the FDA’s mail-order rules undermine its law and increase state health costs. Louisiana is due to respond Thursday to the administrative stay. (NPR / CNN / Axios / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / Associated Press / Politico)
\n3/ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map that could give Republicans 24 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats. The map, approved in a fast-tracked special session after the Supreme Court narrowed Voting Rights Act protections, targets Democratic-held districts in Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida. Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called lawmakers back for a special legislative session to consider a new congressional map to give Republicans an additional House seat. And in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee also called for a special session to “review” the state’s only Democratic-held district. (The Hill / Politico / CNN / Democracy Docket / CBS News / New York Times / NBC News / Associated Press)
\npoll/ 62% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president – a record high from his two terms in office. Trump’s overall approval stands at 37%. (ABC News / Washington Post)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 183 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 918 days.
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", "summary": "U.S. forces shot down Iranian missiles and drones and destroyed six Iranian small boats after Trump began moving commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz as part of “Project Freedom”; the Supreme Court temporarily restored mail and telehealth access to mifepristone; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map that could give Republicans 24 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House...", "date_published": "2026-05-04T15:31:04-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/30/day-1927/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/30/day-1927/", "title": "Day 1927: “We had to.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1927trump-f127b6.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump signed legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security; Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries after the Supreme Court struck down its congressional map, giving the Republican-controlled Legislature time to redraw districts before November; Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means as his surgeon general nominee and named Dr. Nicole Saphier, a longtime Fox News contributor and radiologist; oil prices briefly hit their highest level since the Iran war began; the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge jumped to 3.5% in March; 56% of Americans oppose Trump tearing down the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom; and the Senate unanimously banned senators and staff from trading on prediction markets, codifying the idea that lawmakers shouldn’t gamble on events they may might shape.
\n1/ Trump signed legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a record-long shutdown after House Republicans dropped weeks of resistance to a Senate-passed bill. The measure restores money for TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service, but leaves ICE and Border Patrol unfunded while Republicans pursue a separate $70 billion party-line bill for immigration enforcement. Democrats had demanded new limits on immigration agents after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota, including restrictions on raids and agents wearing masks. The final deal included none of those demands. Speaker Mike Johnson claimed House Republicans held up the Senate bill because “we had to” keep ICE and Border Patrol from being left out of the funding package, adding: “We threw a fit.” (NBC News / CNBC / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Axios / NPR)
\n2/ Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries after the Supreme Court struck down its congressional map, giving the Republican-controlled Legislature time to redraw districts before November. Early voting in the House primaries was set to begin Saturday, and absentee ballots had already gone out. While the House races will remain on the ballot, votes in those races won’t count. The Senate primary, however, will go forward on May 16. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Gov. Jeff Landry “has no choice but to suspend” the primaries, then urged other states with “unconstitutional maps” to act before the midterms. A new Louisiana map could give Republicans one or two more House seats. (Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / NBC News / Reuters / Associated Press / NPR)
\n3/ Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means as his surgeon general nominee and named Dr. Nicole Saphier, a longtime Fox News contributor and radiologist. Means’ nomination had stalled in the Senate for more than two months over Republican concerns about her stance on vaccines, credentials, and her inactive medical license. Saphier is Trump’s third pick for the job. (CNN / Associated Press / Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
\n4/ Oil prices briefly hit their highest level since the Iran war began, pushing U.S. gas to $4.30 a gallon. Brent crude topped $126 before falling toward $114, while U.S. crude settled near $105. The spike followed stalled U.S.-Iran talks, Trump’s reported rejection of Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and continued restrictions on tanker traffic through the waterway. Analysts said markets were “losing hope for any quick resumption in oil flows.” Before the war, Brent traded near $70. (New York Times / Semafor / Axios / CBS News / The Guardian)
\n5/ The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge jumped to 3.5% in March, as the Iran war drove gasoline prices to a four-year high. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose to 3.2% – well above the Fed’s 2% target. (CNBC / CNN / ABC News)
\npoll/ 56% of Americans oppose Trump tearing down the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, while 28% support, and 15% unsure. (Washington Post / ABC News)
\n😏 Well, that’s fantastic: The Senate unanimously banned senators and staff from trading on prediction markets, codifying the idea that lawmakers shouldn’t gamble on events they may might shape. A broader ban on stock trading, however, remains stalled. (Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 187 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 922 days.
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", "summary": "Trump signed legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security; Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries after the Supreme Court struck down its congressional map, giving the Republican-controlled Legislature time to redraw districts before November; Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means as his surgeon general nominee and named Dr. Nicole Saphier, a longtime Fox News contributor and radiologist; oil prices...", "date_published": "2026-04-30T16:30:19-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/29/day-1926/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/29/day-1926/", "title": "Day 1926: “Designed and intended to rig outcomes.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1926trump-b7ad69.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, striking down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district and limiting the law’s main tool against racial vote dilution; Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map, which could give Republicans up to four more House seats in November’s midterm elections; the Supreme Court ruled that a Christian faith-based anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” can challenge a New Jersey subpoena tied to a state investigation into whether they misled donors and clients about abortion services; Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will remain a Fed governor when his term as chairman ends; Trump rejected Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. naval blockade will continue until Tehran accepts a nuclear deal; and the Iran war has cost about $25 billion so far.
\n1/ The Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, striking down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district and limiting the law’s main tool against racial vote dilution. Louisiana created the district after Black voters sued over a post-2020 map that gave them one of the state’s six House seats, despite Black residents making up about one-third of the population. While the ruling doesn’t erase Section 2, it narrows the provision Congress updated in 1982 to stop maps that diluted minority voting power. Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Louisiana’s map was an “unconstitutional gerrymander,” while Justice Elena Kagan said the court had rendered Section 2 “all but a dead letter” and left states free to “systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.” Republicans, meanwhile, in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana immediately called for special sessions to draw new maps, saying “There is no time to waste” and “LET’S GO!” (Associated Press / Politico / Reuters / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / NPR / CBS News / NBC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Politico / ABC News)
\n2/ Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map, which could give Republicans up to four more House seats in November’s midterm elections. The map targets Democratic seats around Tampa, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale, giving Republicans a strong chance to win in 24 of 28 districts. Democrats said the map is “designed and intended to rig outcomes.” Voting rights groups are expected to sue, citing Florida’s Fair Districts Amendments, which bars maps drawn to favor a party or incumbent. (Politico / New York Times / Bloomberg / CBS News / Washington Post / ABC News)
\n3/ The Supreme Court ruled that a Christian faith-based anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” can challenge a New Jersey subpoena tied to a state investigation into whether they misled donors and clients about abortion services. In 2023, when New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued a subpoena as part of an investigation into whether First Choice Women’s Resource Centers was misleading patients and donors by implying it offered abortions and referrals while obscuring its antiabortion mission. The unanimous ruling revives First Choice’s First Amendment lawsuit, but doesn’t stop New Jersey’s investigation. (Reuters / Associated Press / Politico / CNN / Washington Post)
\n4/ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will remain a Fed governor when his term as chairman ends May 15, preventing Trump the opportunity to fill a vacancy on the central bank’s board. Powell said “legal attacks on the Fed” had left him “no choice” but to stay until the investigation into the Fed’s renovations is “well and truly over with transparency and finality.” Powell called the Trump administration’s legal actions “unprecedented,” saying they “threaten our ability to conduct monetary policy without considering political factors.” While the Justice Department said it would close its criminal probe, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office could reopen the investigation if “the facts warrant doing so.” The Fed also held rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75%. The four dissents were the most since 1992. (Bloomberg / NBC News / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n5/ Trump rejected Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. naval blockade will continue until Tehran accepts a nuclear deal. He called the blockade “somewhat more effective than the bombing,” and that Iran is “choking” and must “cry uncle.” Iran’s state media warned the blockade could bring “practical and unprecedented action.” The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group, however, are expected to leave the Middle East in the coming days. The war has cost about $25 billion so far. (NPR / NBC News / CBS News / Axios / CNN / Bloomberg / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 188 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 923 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, striking down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district and limiting the law’s main tool against racial vote dilution; Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map, which could give Republicans up to four more House seats in November’s midterm elections; the Supreme Court ruled that a Christian faith-based anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy...", "date_published": "2026-04-29T16:29:01-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/28/day-1925/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/28/day-1925/", "title": "Day 1925: “A day of reckoning.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1925trump-84cf6c.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: U.S. gas prices rose to their highest level in nearly four years; the Government Accountability Office will investigate the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files; the Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey over a 2025 Instagram photo of seashells arranged as “86 47”; the FCC ordered an early review of Disney-owned ABC station licenses after Trump demanded – again – that Jimmy Kimmel be fired; federal prosecutors indicted NIH official David Morens with conspiring to hide COVID-19 research records from public records requests while serving as an adviser to Anthony Fauci; the State Department plans to issue a limited run of U.S. passports featuring Trump’s portrait and gold signature to mark America’s 250th anniversary; and 64% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president.
\n1/ U.S. gas prices rose to their highest level in nearly four years, reaching $4.18 a gallon as the Iran war has left the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. Prices are up $1.19 since late February. While Iran has offered to reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its blockade, Trump was reportedly dissatisfied because the proposal delays talks over Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Iran said it was in a “State of Collapse” and wanted Hormuz opened “as soon as possible.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran cannot decide “who gets to use an international waterway.” Analysts, meanwhile, warned that supplies remain strained and the summer demand could bring “a day of reckoning” the stock market is “ignoring.” (Reuters / New York Times / ABC News / Politico / CNBC / CBS News / Axios / Bloomberg / Reuters / ABC News)
\n2/ The Government Accountability Office will investigate the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, including how officials reviewed, redacted, and released the records. A bipartisan group of senators said the Justice Department had exposed victim information while shielding alleged co-conspirators, calling it a failure that “re-victimize[d]” survivors and violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The department has, so far, released about 3.5 million pages while withholding millions more that officials claim are duplicates or exempt from disclosure. The review has no completion date and will run alongside a separate Justice Department inspector general audit. (Politico / Washington Post / NBC News / CNBC)
\n3/ The Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey over a 2025 Instagram photo of seashells arranged as “86 47.” The indictment charges Comey with threatening Trump and transmitting a threat across state lines, saying a “reasonable recipient” would view the post as “a serious expression” of intent to harm Trump, the 47th president. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche claimed, “You are not allowed to threaten the president.” Comey deleted the post at the time and said he opposed “violence of any kind.” The case follows a failed 2025 prosecution that accused Comey of lying to Congress, which fell apart after a judge found that Trump’s hand-picked prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed. (CNN / Reuters / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press / Politico / Washington Post)
\n4/ The FCC ordered an early review of Disney-owned ABC station licenses after Trump demanded – again – that Jimmy Kimmel be fired. The FCC claimed the review concerns ABC’s diversity practices and possible “unlawful discrimination,” but the timing follows Kimmel joking that Melania Trump looked like an “expectant widow” several days before a gunman tried to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Disney said ABC complies with FCC rules and is prepared to defend its licenses under the Communications Act and the First Amendment. (Semafor / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Washington Post / Axios / CNN / New York Times)
\n5/ Federal prosecutors indicted NIH official David Morens with conspiring to hide COVID-19 research records from public records requests while serving as an adviser to Anthony Fauci. Prosecutors said Morens used a personal Gmail account to evade FOIA searches for communications about bat coronavirus grants, EcoHealth Alliance, and the origins of the pandemic. The indictment cites a 2021 email where Morens said he had learned “how to make emails disappear,” though he denied in 2024 that he tried to evade transparency laws. The indictment doesn’t accuse Fauci of wrongdoing. (Associated Press / Reuters / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
\n6/ The State Department plans to issue a limited run of U.S. passports featuring Trump’s portrait and gold signature to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The design will be the default for in-person applicants at the Washington Passport Agency, while online applicants and those using other offices will receive the current version. The Trump passport follows a 2026 national parks pass showing Trump beside George Washington, newly printed paper currency with Trump’s signature, a planned 24-karat gold commemorative coin with his likeness, the renamed “Trump-Kennedy Center,” the renamed “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace,” the $5 million “Trump Gold Card” visa program, “Trump Accounts” savings plans for children, TrumpRx prescription drug discounts, and a large “MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN” banner with Trump’s face on the Justice Department headquarters. Officials didn’t say how many passports would be issued. (Associated Press / Politico / CNN / CBS News / Washington Post)
\npoll/ 64% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president, while 34% approve. (Reuters)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 189 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 924 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "U.S. gas prices rose to their highest level in nearly four years; the Government Accountability Office will investigate the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files; the Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey over a 2025 Instagram photo of seashells arranged as “86 47”; the FCC ordered an early review of Disney-owned ABC station licenses after Trump demanded...", "date_published": "2026-04-28T16:40:38-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/27/day-1924/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/27/day-1924/", "title": "Day 1924: “An entire nation is being humiliated.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1924trump-36ce0b.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Justice Department charged Cole Tomas Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump; the National Trust for Historic Preservation refused to drop its lawsuit challenging Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, rejecting a Justice Department demand following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map that could give Republicans four more U.S. House seats; Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war, while setting aside nuclear negotiations for later; and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. has “no strategy” for leaving the war and that “an entire nation is being humiliated” by Iranian leaders who are “very skillfully not negotiating.”
\n1/ The Justice Department charged Cole Tomas Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump. Allen faces up to life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said Allen allegedly rushed a White House Correspondents’ Dinner security checkpoint with a shotgun, pistol, and knives. He also faces two federal gun counts. Prosecutors said Allen planned the attack for weeks, booked a room at the Washington Hilton, traveled by train from California, and emailed a document listing administration officials as targets “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” A Secret Service officer was struck in the chest, but protected by a ballistic vest. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said law enforcement “did not fail” because Allen was stopped “a floor above the ballroom,” with “hundreds of federal agents” between him and Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, said the Secret Service needs to “tighten up,” calling security at the event “a little lax.” (Associated Press / ABC News / Politico / New York Times / Axios / NPR / Wall Street Journal / CBS News / NBC News / Washington Post / Bloomberg)
\nEARLIER: An armed California man was taken into custody after charging a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, prompting agents to evacuate Trump and senior officials before the suspect reached the ballroom. Officials said Cole Tomas Allen had a shotgun, handgun, and knives, and had traveled by train from California before staying at the Washington Hilton. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said preliminary evidence showed that Allen “set out to target folks” in the administration, “likely including the president,” while cautioning that investigators were still reviewing writings, devices, and interviews. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro added that Allen appeared “intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” and that prosecutors plan to arraign him Monday on federal firearm and assault charges. Although a Secret Service agent was hit in their bulletproof vest and released from the hospital, Blanche said “the system worked” because Allen “barely breached the perimeter.”
\nTrump attacked CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell during a “60 Minutes” interview after she read from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect’s apparent manifesto. O’Donnell said the writings referred to Trump administration officials as “targets” and included the phrase “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor.” Although they didn’t name Trump, he treated the passage as directed at him, saying: “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody” and “I’m not a pedophile.” He called the suspect “sick,” accused CBS of being “horrible people,” and told O’Donnell she was “a disgrace” for reading the excerpt on air. He then said, “But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview.” (CBS News / Axios / Politico)
\nTrump and Melania Trump called for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel for a joke he made two days before a gunman tried to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. On Thursday, during a parody skit of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech, Kimmel joked that the first lady looked like she had a “glow like an expectant widow.” Trump called the joke a “despicable call to violence,” while Melania said ABC should “take a stand.” (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Politico / CBS News / NBC News / NPR / New York Times)
\n💡 First came the shooting. Then, the conspiracy theories. “The shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner has sparked conspiracy theories on the left and the right that it was staged to drum up support for Trump and his ballroom.” (Washington Post)
\n💡 False flag conspiracy theories swirl around White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack. “Baseless claims that the incident was staged swirled almost immediately. By the next day, the idea had spread across social media. Even Trump noted the speed.” (NBC News)
\n💡 Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner. “Influencers jumped to fill the information void with conspiracy theories about the attack at the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday.” (New York Times)
\n2/ The National Trust for Historic Preservation refused to drop its lawsuit challenging Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, rejecting a Justice Department demand following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The Justice Department claimed the lawsuit put Trump and his staff at “grave risk.” The Trust said the claim didn’t change the legal issue that Congress hasn’t authorized construction on White House grounds. The trust sued after the White House demolished the East Wing for a 999-person ballroom, arguing Trump bypassed Congress and federal review. An appeals court has allowed work to continue until a June 5 hearing. (NBC News / CNBC / Bloomberg / Politico / Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n3/ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map that could give Republicans four more U.S. House seats. Florida’s current congressional maps, also drawn by DeSantis, currently give Republicans a 20-8 advantage over Democrats, which could change to 24-4 under the new plan. The Republican-controlled Legislature could approve the plan this week. Democrats have promised lawsuits, citing Florida’s voter-approved ban on partisan gerrymandering. (Reuters / Politico / Axios / New York Times / CNN / NPR / The Guardian / Washington Post / NBC News)
\n4/ Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war, while setting aside nuclear negotiations for later. The proposal, via Pakistani mediators, would extend the ceasefire or end the war permanently before talks resume over Iran’s uranium enrichment and stockpile. While Trump’s used the blockade to choke off Iran’s oil exports and force nuclear concessions, the strait’s closure has driven up energy prices and disrupted global shipping. The White House said Trump’s national security team discussed the offer, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected any arrangement where ships must “get our permission” or “pay us,” saying: “That’s not opening the straits.” Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. has “no strategy” for leaving the war and that “an entire nation is being humiliated” by Iranian leaders who are “very skillfully not negotiating.” (Associated Press / CNBC / Bloomberg / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
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", "summary": "The Justice Department charged Cole Tomas Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump; the National Trust for Historic Preservation refused to drop its lawsuit challenging Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, rejecting a Justice Department demand following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map that could give Republicans four more U.S....", "date_published": "2026-04-27T15:47:53-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/26/day-1923/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/26/day-1923/", "title": "Day 1923: “I’m honored.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1923trump-5b49b7.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: An armed California man was taken into custody after charging a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner; Trump said “I guess” and “I’m honored” when asked whether he was the target; and Trump described the Washington Hilton as “not a particularly secure building,” adding: “We need the ballroom.”
\n1/ An armed California man was taken into custody after charging a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, prompting agents to evacuate Trump and senior officials before the suspect reached the ballroom. Officials said Cole Tomas Allen had a shotgun, handgun, and knives, and had traveled by train from California before staying at the Washington Hilton. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said preliminary evidence showed that Allen “set out to target folks” in the administration, “likely including the president,” while cautioning that investigators were still reviewing writings, devices, and interviews. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro added that Allen appeared “intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” and that prosecutors plan to arraign him Monday on federal firearm and assault charges. Although a Secret Service agent was hit in their bulletproof vest and released from the hospital, Blanche said “the system worked” because Allen “barely breached the perimeter.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNN / CNBC / NBC News / CBS News / ABC News)
\n2/ Trump said “I guess” when asked whether he was the target, saying “I’ve studied assassinations, and I must tell you, the most impactful people, the people that do the most […] they’re the ones that they go after.” He continued: “And I hate to say I’m honored by that, but I’ve done a lot.” Trump added that he wouldn’t change how he lives, saying “To be honest with you, I’m not a basket case.” (Washington Post / New York Times / Reuters)
\n3/ Trump described the Washington Hilton as “not a particularly secure building,” adding: “We need the ballroom.” About 10 hours later, he posted on Truth Social that the shooting “would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!” (Washington Post / The Hill / Axios)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 191 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 926 days.
\nTrump canceled U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s planned trip to Pakistan, stalling talks to end the Iran war. He said the trip meant “too much time wasted on traveling,” accused Iran of “infighting and confusion,” and said: “We have all the cards, they have none.” Trump said Iran later sent a “much better” proposal, but added that it “offered a lot, but not enough.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters / CNBC / CBS News)
\nSen. Thom Tillis said he will stop blocking Kevin Warsh’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve after the Justice Department dropped its criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Tillis said the DOJ assured him it wasn’t using the probe “as a weapon” against Fed independence and would shift the renovation-cost review to the Fed’s inspector general, clearing the way for Trump’s pick for likely confirmation. (Bloomberg / NBC News / Reuters / Washington Post / Semafor / CNBC)
\nFederal prosecutors charged Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke with using classified information from the U.S. operation to capture Nicolás Maduro to make more than $400,000 on Polymarket. The indictment says Van Dyke helped plan and execute the Caracas raid, then placed about $34,000 in bets tied to Maduro’s removal and U.S. forces entering Venezuela. He faces commodities fraud, wire fraud, theft, and misuse of confidential government information for personal gain. Prosecutors said he later tried to hide the trades by deleting his Polymarket account, changing account emails, and moving proceeds through cryptocurrency accounts. (ABC News / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post)
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", "summary": "An armed California man was taken into custody after charging a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner; Trump said “I guess” and “I’m honored” when asked whether he was the target; and Trump described the Washington Hilton as “not a particularly secure building,” adding: “We need the ballroom.”", "date_published": "2026-04-26T08:59:19-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/23/day-1920/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/23/day-1920/", "title": "Day 1920: “Shoot and kill.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1920trump-2f85ac.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill” any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz; Senate Republicans voted 50-48 to advance a budget plan for about $70 billion in ICE and Border Patrol funding for the rest of Trump’s term; a Virginia judge blocked state officials from certifying the new congressional map a day after voters approved it; Republicans are urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to redraw the state’s congressional map before the midterms; the Justice Department’s internal watchdog opened an audit into whether the agency complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act; the Justice Department reclassified FDA-approved and state-licensed medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug while leaving recreational marijuana illegal under federal law; the Trump administration has approved only 1 “Gold Card” visa so far; and 58% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance.
\n1/ Trump ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill” any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S. officials said Iran had deployed new mines despite the ceasefire agreement. Trump said there should be “no hesitation,” but claimed the strait was under “total control” and “Sealed up Tight” until Iran is able to “make a DEAL.” The order came as the USS George H.W. Bush arrived near Iran, putting a third U.S. aircraft carrier in the region. The blockade has turned back 33 vessels and left shipping through the strait remains sharply reduced. Trump, however, said he had no “time pressure” to reach a deal, telling reporters “Don’t rush me,” and that Americans should expect higher gas prices “for a little while.” (CNBC / Washington Post / New York Times / Axios / Associated Press / CNN / NBC News / ABC News)
\n2/ Senate Republicans voted 50-48 to advance a budget plan for about $70 billion in ICE and Border Patrol funding for the rest of Trump’s term, starting a reconciliation process to bypass Democrats. The measure now goes to the House, where GOP leaders want Republicans to adopt the Senate plan unchanged next week. “It has to be clean because it has to be quick,” Speaker Mike Johnson said, but conservatives are threatening to oppose the bill unless it includes other priorities, including tax changes, defense money, Iran war funding, spending cuts, or Planned Parenthood restrictions. Democrats have refused to fund ICE and Border Patrol without new enforcement limits, including a ban on masked raids, warrant requirements for entering homes, body cameras, and limits on raids at schools and hospitals. (Politico / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / ABC News / NBC News)
\n3/ A Virginia judge blocked state officials from certifying the new congressional map a day after voters approved it, pausing a plan that could shift as many as four House seats to Democrats. Judge Jack Hurley said the referendum violated the state constitution and called the ballot question “flagrantly misleading.” Attorney General Jay Jones said he’d appeal. Meanwhile, Republicans are urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to redraw the state’s congressional map before the midterms, seeing Florida as their last chance to regain an edge. Some Republicans, however, say Trump’s Texas-led redistricting push triggered a Democratic response that may leave the party worse off. (CBS News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Semafor / New York Times)
\n4/ The Justice Department’s internal watchdog opened an audit into whether the agency complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The review will cover how the department identified, withheld, redacted, and published records tied to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell that lawmakers and survivors said was incomplete and careless with victim information. The law required nearly all records to be released, with exceptions for victims, child sexual abuse material, and active investigations. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche denied a cover-up, saying the department “did not protect President Trump” or anyone else. (New York Times / Politico / Reuters / ABC News / Associated Press / CNN / Washington Post / CBS News / CNBC)
\n5/ The Justice Department reclassified FDA-approved and state-licensed medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug while leaving recreational marijuana illegal under federal law. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the order would expand research and treatment options, while creating a faster DEA registration process for state medical marijuana licensees. The move came days after Trump signed a separate order expanding federal research into psychedelics such as MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and ibogaine. (Washington Post / CBS News / NBC News / Associated Press)
\n6/ The Trump administration has approved only 1 “Gold Card” visa so far. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the program, which opened in December, offers U.S. residency to foreigners who pay $1 million to the government for “the betterment” of the country, plus a $15,000 processing fee. Lutnick said there are “hundreds” of applications and described the vetting as “the most serious” in government history. (Bloomberg / CBS News)
\npoll/ 58% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 39% approve. It’s Trump’s highest disapproval rating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (New York Times)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 194 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 929 days.
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", "summary": "Trump ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill” any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz; Senate Republicans voted 50-48 to advance a budget plan for about $70 billion in ICE and Border Patrol funding for the rest of Trump’s term; a Virginia judge blocked state officials from certifying the new congressional map a day after voters approved it;...", "date_published": "2026-04-23T15:59:58-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/22/day-1919/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/22/day-1919/", "title": "Day 1919: “Totally controlled.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1919trump-00f565.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Virginia voters approved a temporary plan to redraw the state’s congressional map, which could give Democrats as many as four more House seats this; the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut despite Trump extending the ceasefire, with Iran firing on three commercial ships and seizing two of them; Democrats on the House Judiciary demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel complete a World Health Organization alcohol-use screening test; the Trump administration agreed to pay former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page $1.25 million to settle his claims over FBI surveillance during the Russia investigation; the Justice Department charged the Southern Poverty Law Center with defrauding donors by secretly using more than $3 million in contributions to pay informants inside the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups; 52% of Americans prefer congressional candidates who don’t support Trump’s deportation policy; and 55% of Americans say the House should impeach Trump.
\n1/ Virginia voters approved a temporary plan to redraw the state’s congressional map, which could give Democrats as many as four more House seats this fall. The new lines would shift Virginia from a 6-5 Democratic edge to a map that favors Democrats in 10 of 11 districts. Republicans said they will challenge the referendum in the Virginia Supreme Court. The measure suspends Virginia’s normal redistricting system for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections, not permanently, with the state set to return to its bipartisan redistricting commission after the 2030 census. Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other supporters cast it as a temporary response to the mid-decade redistricting fight in other states, not a permanent replacement for the commission. (CNN / NPR / Washington Post / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / The Hill)
\n2/ The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut despite Trump extending the ceasefire, with Iran firing on three commercial ships and seizing two of them. Trump justified the extension by saying Iran’s government was “seriously fractured” and there’s “no time frame” for ending the conflict, even though he had described Tehran’s new leaders as “much more rational” and “very reasonable” days earlier. He also insisted the U.S. “totally controlled” the strait and said Iran was “losing 500 Million Dollars a day.” (New York Times / CNN / ABC News / CNBC / Bloomberg / Associated Press / CNBC / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Reuters / NPR)
\n3/ Democrats on the House Judiciary demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel complete a World Health Organization alcohol-use screening test and turn over security clearance questionnaire responses with Congress. The demand followed The Atlantic’s report that Patel’s alleged excessive drinking and unexplained absences had become a concern inside the FBI and Justice Department. Patel denied the claims, said he has “never been intoxicated on the job,” and sued The Atlantic for defamation, seeking $250 million. Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed Patel’s separate defamation suit over a TV remark that he spent more time in nightclubs than at FBI headquarters, ruling the comment was “rhetorical hyperbole,” not a statement of fact. Separately, The New York Times reported that the FBI looked into whether one of its reporters violated stalking laws after she wrote that Patel used bureau personnel to provide his girlfriend with security and transportation. (CNBC / NBC News / The Hill / NBC News / The Guardian / New York Times)
\n4/ The Trump administration agreed to pay former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page $1.25 million to settle his claims over FBI surveillance during the Russia investigation. Page sued in 2020, alleging that the FBI and Justice Department used false and misleading surveillance applications to monitor him. A later inspector general report, issued during Trump’s first term, found major errors and omissions in those filings. The settlement, however, doesn’t change the Mueller investigation conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf. (Associated Press / Politico / CBS News)
\n5/ The Justice Department charged the Southern Poverty Law Center with defrauding donors by secretly using more than $3 million in contributions to pay informants inside the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups. The 11-count federal indictment charged the civil rights group with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, alleging it used fictitious entities and disguised bank accounts to conceal the payments. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the civil rights group was “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose.” (Reuters / New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / NBC News)
\npoll/ 52% of Americans prefer congressional candidates who don’t support Trump’s deportation policy, while 42% said they were more likely to support such a candidate. (Reuters)
\npoll/ 55% of Americans say the House should impeach Trump, while 37% oppose, and 8% are unsure. 45% say they strongly support impeachment, while 30% say they strongly oppose it. (Strength in Numbers)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 195 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 930 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Virginia voters approved a temporary plan to redraw the state’s congressional map, which could give Democrats as many as four more House seats this; the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut despite Trump extending the ceasefire, with Iran firing on three commercial ships and seizing two of them; Democrats on the House Judiciary demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel complete...", "date_published": "2026-04-22T16:43:39-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/21/day-1918/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/21/day-1918/", "title": "Day 1918: “Pretty serious stuff.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1918trump-750702.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump abruptly extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire hours before it was due to expire; Trump said he’d “remember” the companies that don’t seek refunds for tariffs the Supreme Court ruled illegal; Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell told senators he’d run the central bank as a “strictly independent” institution and denied that Trump had asked him to cut rates; Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on whether to recommend her expulsion from Congress; the Justice Department is escalating its Florida-based “grand conspiracy” investigation; the FBI is “spearheading the effort to look for connections” between the deaths or disappearances of scientists and staff who worked at sensitive nuclear or space technology laboratories; 62% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance; and 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
\n1/ Trump abruptly extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire hours before it was due to expire, saying Iran’s leadership was “seriously fractured” and needed to “come up with a unified proposal.” Earlier in the day, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire “numerous times,” said the U.S. was “going to end up with a great deal” because Iran had “no choice,” but also warned, “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. We’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.” He ordered the military to “continue the Blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving in place the main point of contention that stalled the talks. JD Vance, who had been expected to lead the next round of negotiations in Pakistan, stayed in Washington after his trip was postponed after Iran said it wouldn’t attend while the blockade remained. (New York Times / CNBC / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Politico / CBS News / Axios / CNBC)
\n2/ Trump said he’d “remember” the companies that don’t seek refunds for tariffs the Supreme Court ruled illegal. The comment came a day after Customs opened a claims portal for roughly $166 billion in repayments tied to Trump’s use of emergency powers for “reciprocal” tariffs. “It’s brilliant if they don’t do that,” Trump said. “If they don’t do that, I’ll remember them.” Trump added that the White House was trying to replace the lost tariff revenue “a different way,” promising “the same” result and “bigger numbers, actually,” though “it’s a little more unwieldy.” (Reuters / CNBC / Bloomberg / New York Times)
\n3/ Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell told senators he’d run the central bank as a “strictly independent” institution and denied that Trump had asked him to cut rates. Democrats called Kevin Warsh a potential White House proxy, pressed him over a recent shift toward lower rates, and demanded more detail about his financial holdings worth more than $100 million that he declined to fully describe. Warsh also called for “regime change” in how the Fed fights inflation and communicates with markets, offering few specifics on what that would mean in practice. Sen. Thom Tillis, meanwhile, has said he’ll block any Fed nominee while the Justice Department’s investigation into the current chair remains open. (CBS News / New York Times / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg)
\n4/ Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on whether to recommend her expulsion from Congress. The move ended the panel’s jurisdiction and spared Democrats a vote on one of their own after a bipartisan ethics subcommittee found 25 violations and said all but 2 of 27 allegations against her had been proven, including accusations that she diverted federal relief money into her campaign. Cherfilus-McCormick, who has pleaded not guilty in the related criminal case, dismissed the proceedings as a “witch hunt.” Meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution to expel Republican Rep. Cory Mills over ethics allegations that include sexual and financial misconduct. (New York Times / NBC News / CBS News / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / The Hill)
\n5/ The Justice Department is escalating its Florida-based “grand conspiracy” investigation. The legally untested theory treats the Russia investigation and later cases against Trump as a long-running plot by former intelligence and law enforcement officials to target him. Joseph diGenova, who helped Trump in his failed effort to overturn the 2020 election, was brought in after career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case for raising concerns about charges. They’re targeting former CIA Director John Brennan over whether he lied to Congress about the 2017 intelligence assessment that found Russia interfered to help Trump. Brennan has denied wrongdoing. (Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / CNN / Associated Press / CNN / Reuters / New York Times)
\n6/ The FBI is “spearheading the effort to look for connections” between the deaths or disappearances of scientists and staff who worked at sensitive nuclear or space technology laboratories. Since 2022, at least 10 scientists working on nuclear programs, NASA, and in other sensitive areas have died or disappeared. Investigators, relatives, and former officials involved in several of the cases said they have seen no evidence of a broader plot, and no link between the cases has been established. Nevertheless, online speculation and internet theories linking them to America’s enemies caught Trump’s attention: “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” Trump said. “Pretty serious stuff […] hopefully a coincidence, or whatever you want to call it.” (CBS News / NBC News)
\npoll/ 62% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 36% of approve. (Reuters)
\npoll/ 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. Among Republicans, 37% disapprove, 80% of independents, and 96% of Democrats. (Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 196 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 931 days.
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", "summary": "Trump abruptly extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire hours before it was due to expire; Trump said he’d “remember” the companies that don’t seek refunds for tariffs the Supreme Court ruled illegal; Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell told senators he’d run the central bank as a “strictly independent” institution and denied that Trump had asked him to cut rates; Democratic Rep....", "date_published": "2026-04-21T15:16:30-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/20/day-1917/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/20/day-1917/", "title": "Day 1917: “Coming soon.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1917trump-b99601.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the Iran ceasefire, warning that if it expires, “then lots of bombs start going off”; Trump called his energy secretary’s assessment that gas prices might remain at $3 per gallon or more until next year “totally wrong”; FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic and a journalist for defamation, seeking $250 million over an article that said he showed “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” was “often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions,” and had become a point of concern inside the FBI and Justice Department; Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned following an inspector general investigation into allegations that she had an affair with a member of her security detail, drank on the job, and used official events to facilitate personal travel; the House Ethics Committee publicly urged anyone with information about sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer to come forward; the Justice Department demanded that a Michigan county turn over ballots and other records from the 2024 election; a federal appeals court allowed construction on Trump’s White House ballroom to continue for now; and Trump’s IRS and Treasury Department told a federal judge they’re negotiating a resolution to Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over his leaked tax records.
\n1/ Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the Iran ceasefire, warning that if it expires, “then lots of bombs start going off.” A second round of U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, however, was still being prepared despite Tehran publicly saying there was “no plan” and “no decision” on new talks after the U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. The U.S., Pakistani, and some Iranian officials suggested the meeting could still happen. Trump insists Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon,” while Iran says it won’t negotiate “under the shadow of threats” and called the ship seizure and continued blockade as proof Washington’s “claim of diplomacy” doesn’t match its actions. Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains far below normal after Iran briefly declared it open, then reasserted control as the U.S. kept its blockade in place. (Washington Post / PBS News / New York Times / CNN / NBC News / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Associated Press)
\n2/ Trump called his energy secretary’s assessment that gas prices might remain at $3 per gallon or more until next year “totally wrong.” Trump claimed prices would fall “as soon as this ends,” referring to the Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. A day before, Chris Wright had suggested that gas “prices have likely peaked and they’ll start going down, certainly with a resolution of this conflict.” The national average price of a gallon of gas was about $4.10 last week. (The Hill / New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico / CNN)
\n3/ FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic and a journalist for defamation, seeking $250 million over an article that said he showed “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” was “often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions,” and had become a point of concern inside the FBI and Justice Department. The article, which cited more than two dozen anonymous sources, also said Patel’s drinking had forced meetings and briefings to be pushed later in the day, that members of his security detail at times had trouble waking him, and that he feared his job was in jeopardy. Patel called the story “a lie” and said, “They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway.” His lawsuit described the story as “replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations” meant to “destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office.” The Atlantic, meanwhile, said it stood by its reporting and would “vigorously defend” the magazine and its journalists. (Reuters / Washington Post / Associated Press / CBS News / NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
\n4/ Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned following an inspector general investigation into allegations that she had an affair with a member of her security detail, drank on the job, and used official events to facilitate personal travel. The White House said she was leaving for the private sector, and said Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling would serve as acting secretary. Chavez-DeRemer is the third cabinet member to leave in less than two months, following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March and Attorney General Pam Bondi. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico)
\n5/ The House Ethics Committee publicly urged anyone with information about sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer to come forward. The rare statement comes after Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resigned following sexual misconduct allegations. “There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee said. The panel encouraged anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer to contact them, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, or the Office of Employee Advocacy (ABC News / Washington Post / Politico)
\n6/ The Justice Department demanded that a Michigan county turn over ballots and other records from the 2024 election. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon’s letter gave Wayne County 14 days to produce ballots, envelopes, and receipts, citing a handful of fraud convictions and old lawsuits. Michigan officials said none of the cases involved the 2024 election and called the request “baseless.” Trump won Michigan in 2024, but lost by nearly 250,000 votes in Wayne County, which is home to Detroit. Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel said arrests over the 2020 election were “coming soon,” adding that the FBI had “all the information we need” for an “entire conspiracy case.” (NBC News / Politico / Democracy Docket / Reuters / New York Times / Washington Post)
\n7/ A federal appeals court allowed construction on Trump’s White House ballroom to continue for now, pausing a judge’s order that had stopped the aboveground work on the 90,000-square-foot project and underground bunker. The panel said the stay is administrative, not a ruling on the merits, and set arguments for June 5. Meaning, whether Trump can proceed without congressional approval remains unresolved. (ABC News / NBC News / Washington Post)
\n8/ Trump’s IRS and Treasury Department told a federal judge they’re negotiating a resolution to Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over his leaked tax records. The filing asked for a 90-day pause while Trump’s own administration weighs whether to settle a personal lawsuit against itself, potentially leaving taxpayers to fund a payment to Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization. The suit stems from the leak of Trump’s tax records by former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. (Reuters / CNN / NBC News / New York Times)
\npoll/ 37% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance as president, while 63% disapprove. (NBC News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 197 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 932 days.
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", "summary": "Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the Iran ceasefire, warning that if it expires, “then lots of bombs start going off”; Trump called his energy secretary’s assessment that gas prices might remain at $3 per gallon or more until next year “totally wrong”; FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic and a journalist for defamation, seeking $250 million over...", "date_published": "2026-04-20T16:14:35-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/16/day-1913/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/16/day-1913/", "title": "Day 1913: “Ignorant of reality.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1913trump-fa3b6b.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Republican-controlled House rejected a Democratic war powers resolution ordering Trump to end the war with Iran; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a fake prayer from a fictional movie during a Pentagon prayer service; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended Trump’s proposed 12% cut to the Health and Human Services budget; RFK Jr. once pulled over on Interstate 684 in New York and cut the penis off a road-killed raccoon to “study them later” while “my kids waited patiently in the car”; the House passed a bipartisan bill to restore Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. for three years; a federal fine arts panel gave preliminary approval to Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery; and a federal judge – again – blocked above-ground construction of Trump’s White House ballroom, ruling that the administration could continue only below-ground work tied to national security facilities.
\n1/ The Republican-controlled House rejected a Democratic war powers resolution ordering Trump to end the war with Iran. The vote was 213-214 and comes a day after the Senate voted down a similar measure. (Politico / Associated Press / CBS News / Washington Post / NBC News / Axios)
\n2/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a fake prayer from a fictional movie during a Pentagon prayer service. “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” Hegseth said, before reading a version of the made-up Bible verse from Pulp Fiction. Samuel L. Jackson’s character delivers the passage just before shooting a man. The Pentagon later defended Hegseth, saying the CSAR prayer was “obviously inspired” by Pulp Fiction and that anyone claiming he had misquoted Ezekiel was “peddling fake news and ignorant of reality.” (New Republic / Mother Jones / Rolling Stone / Variety / The Hill / Mediaite / The Guardian)
\n3/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended Trump’s proposed 12% cut to the Health and Human Services budget. In his first congressional appearance in seven months, Democrats pressed Kennedy on the deaths of unvaccinated children during the Texas measles outbreak, the CDC’s rollback of childhood vaccine recommendations, and the agency’s decision to halt pro-vaccine messaging. Kennedy acknowledged that the measles vaccine is safe and effective “for most people” and safer than getting measles, but maintained that vaccination is a personal choice and that parents should “do your own research.” Republicans, meanwhile, used the hearing to praise his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Associated Press / ABC News)
\nRobert F. Kennedy Jr. once pulled over on Interstate 684 in New York and cut the penis off a road-killed raccoon to “study them later” while “my kids waited patiently in the car.” The account is based on a 2001 diary entry included in a new RFK Jr. biography. (People / The Guardian / New York Post)
\nTrump said he’d nominate Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the CDC – a former deputy surgeon general and public supporter of vaccines. (New York Times / Politico)
\n4/ The House passed a bipartisan bill to restore Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. for three years. 11 Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote on the bill, which would reinstate work permits and deportation protections that the Trump administration tried to terminate. The measure now goes to the Senate, where its future are unclear. (Politico / NBC News / Washington Post)
\n5/ A federal fine arts panel gave preliminary approval to Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, but asked for revisions before a final vote. The panel, made up entirely of Trump appointees, advanced the project even though roughly 1,000 public comments opposed it. Chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr., who called the proposal “beautiful,” has a “Make Design Great Again” hat on his desk, and said Trump “wants to do something that in his heart he feels is good,” has previously said Washington should get three triumphal arches, not one. Commissioners raised concerns about the arch’s scale, its tunnel, and the gold statues on top. The arch also faces a lawsuit from Vietnam veterans, additional federal review, and questions about congressional approval, cost, and funding. (New York Times / ABC News / Washington Post / CBS News / NPR / Politico)
\n6/ A federal judge – again – blocked above-ground construction of Trump’s White House ballroom, ruling that the administration could continue only below-ground work tied to national security facilities. The larger project remains on hold pending congressional approval. Judge Richard Leon said the White House had offered a “brazen” and “disingenuous” reading of his earlier order, writing that “national security is not a blank check.” Trump responded on social media, calling Leon a “Trump Hating” and “highly political” judge, accusing him of undermining national security, and arguing that without the ballroom’s planned bomb shelters, medical facilities, and “Top Secret Military Installations,” future presidents wouldn’t be safe at inaugurations, summits, or major events. (Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 201 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 936 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The Republican-controlled House rejected a Democratic war powers resolution ordering Trump to end the war with Iran; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a fake prayer from a fictional movie during a Pentagon prayer service; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended Trump’s proposed 12% cut to the Health and Human Services budget; RFK Jr. once pulled over on Interstate 684 in New...", "date_published": "2026-04-16T18:15:46-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/15/day-1912/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/15/day-1912/", "title": "Day 1912: “Hate to be controversial.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1912trump-9e350c.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: For the fourth time, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution to force Trump to end U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval; Trump said the war with Iran was “very close to over” and claimed Iranian leaders wanted “to make a deal very badly”; House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; House Republicans delayed a planned procedural vote on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after their own members threatened to block it; Trump – again – threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he stays on as a Fed governor after his term as chair ends; Senate Republicans plan to move quickly on any Supreme Court vacancy that opens before the midterms; and 65% of voters blame Trump for the rise in gas prices.
\n1/ For the fourth time, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution to force Trump to end U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval. Rand Paul was the only Republican to support the measure, while John Fetterman was the only Democrat to oppose it. The war is now in its second month, and the War Powers Resolution requires Trump to end the operation within 60 days unless Congress authorizes it. Several Republicans, however, have begun to warn that their support might not last much longer, with Thom Tillis saying it will soon be time to “fish or cut bait” and John Thune saying the administration “need[s] a plan for how to wind this down”. (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / CBS News / Politico)
\nThe Pentagon is sending thousands more U.S. troops and warships to the Middle East. The buildup includes about 6,000 troops aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and about 4,200 more with the Boxer Amphious Ready Group, adding to roughly 50,000 U.S. personnel already in the region. (Washington Post)
\nRussell Vought told Congress the White House has no “ballpark” estimate for the cost of the Iran war. The Office of Management and Budget Director told the House Budget Committee “We’re not ready to come to you with a request. We’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed in this fiscal year versus next fiscal year.” (Politico / CNBC)
\n2/ Trump said the war with Iran was “very close to over” and claimed Iranian leaders wanted “to make a deal very badly,” adding that if the U.S. “pulled up stakes right now” it would take Iran “20 years to rebuild that country.” U.S. Central Command said its blockade of Iranian ports was “fully implemented,” while Iran warned that if the blockade remains in place it “will not allow any exports or imports to continue” across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea. The White House, meanwhile, pushed back on reports that Trump wanted to extend the ceasefire, which expires next week, saying that was “not true at this moment.” Trump nevertheless said oil prices would fall “very big” when the war ends and that the stock market “is going to boom.” (CNBC / Axios / Bloomberg / CBS News / Associated Press / New York Times)
\n3/ House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but the resolution is largely symbolic and not expected to advance in the Republican-controlled House. It accuses Hegseth of causing civilian casualties in Iran, possibly violating the law of armed conflict, mishandling sensitive military information, obstructing Congress, abusing his power, and bringing disrepute on the armed forces. The Pentagon dismissed the effort as a “charade,” saying Hegseth would remain focused on carrying out Trump’s objectives in Iran. (Axios / The Hill / CBS News)
\n4/ House Republicans delayed a planned procedural vote on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after their own members threatened to block it. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is demanding privacy changes, including requiring a warrant before agencies can search Americans’ communications or buy personal data from brokers, warning that AI has made it easier to analyze huge amounts of personal data at scale. Republican leaders, the White House, and intelligence officials say those changes would make Section 702 harder to use and that a warrant requirement “won’t work” because intelligence agencies sometimes have to act within hours. (Politico / Axios / CBS News / The Guardian)
\n5/ Trump – again – threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he stays on as a Fed governor after his term as chair ends. Powell’s term as chair expires May 15, but he can remain on the Board of Governors until 2028, and said he’ll stay until the Justice Department’s investigation into the Fed’s headquarters renovation is finished. The probe has also delayed Kevin Warsh’s confirmation because Sen. Thom Tillis said he will block the nomination until the case is resolved. Trump said that if Powell stays on the board past May 15, “then I’ll have to fire him, OK? If he’s not leaving on time, I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial.” (New York Times / CNBC / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / NBC News / NPR)
\n6/ Senate Republicans plan to move quickly on any Supreme Court vacancy that opens before the midterms. While no justice has suggested they plan to retire, Justice Samuel Alito is 76 and Justice Clarence Thomas is 77. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said his panel would be “fully prepared” and named Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz as his preferred candidates if one were to step down. Cruz said he had “zero interest” in serving on the court, while Lee said it was “a bridge” he would cross if asked. (Politico / Bloomberg)
\npoll/ 65% of voters blame Trump for the rise in gas prices, and 55% disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president. (Quinnipiac)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 202 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 937 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "For the fourth time, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution to force Trump to end U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval; Trump said the war with Iran was “very close to over” and claimed Iranian leaders wanted “to make a deal very badly”; House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; House Republicans delayed a...", "date_published": "2026-04-15T14:49:45-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/14/day-1911/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/14/day-1911/", "title": "Day 1911: “Maximalism.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1911trump-7547d8.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said new U.S.-Iran talks could resume in Pakistan “over the next two days”; a woman publicly accused Eric Swalwell of raping her in a West Hollywood hotel room in 2018, saying she was “already incapacitated” when she arrived and that, as “he was choking me,” she “lost consciousness” and “thought I died”; a divided federal appeals court shut down U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s contempt investigation into whether the Trump administration defied his order to stop deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador; Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve disclosed financial holdings worth well over $100 million; House Republicans accused the main Democratic fundraising platform of misleading Congress and withholding subpoenaed records tied to an investigation into possible foreign donations; the Justice Department released its first “weaponization” report, accusing the Biden administration of selectively enforcing the FACE Act against anti-abortion activists; and the Justice Department asked to vacate the Jan. 6 convictions of 12 former Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, including several convicted of seditious conspiracy.
\n1/ Trump said new U.S.-Iran talks could resume in Pakistan “over the next two days” as the U.S. continued to enforce a blockade on Iranian shipping. No new meeting had been officially scheduled, and the main dispute remains unchanged: U.S. negotiators reportedly want a 20-year suspension on Iranian uranium enrichment, while Iran has agreed to a three to five years pause. Trump, however, wants a permanent ban on nuclear enrichment, saying “I’ve been saying they can’t have nuclear weapons. So I don’t like the 20 years.” JD Vance, who failed to secure a deal over the weekend, said “the ball is in the Iranian court,” while Iranian officials accused the U.S. of “maximalism” and “shifting goalposts.” The temporary ceasefire deal expires April 21. (CNBC / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Bloomberg / ABC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press)
\n2/ A woman publicly accused Eric Swalwell of raping her in a West Hollywood hotel room in 2018, saying she was “already incapacitated” when she arrived and that, as “he was choking me,” she “lost consciousness” and “thought I died.” The allegation surfaced as Swalwell’s resignation from Congress took effect, after at least two women had accused him of nonconsensual sex or sexual assault and at least three others had accused him of other sexual misconduct, including unsolicited explicit images and an unwanted kiss. Swalwell’s lawyer, meanwhile, said he “categorically and unequivocally denies” all allegations and called them false. (New York Times / Associated Press / CNBC / NBC News / Washington Post / Reuters)
\n3/ A divided federal appeals court shut down U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s contempt investigation into whether the Trump administration defied his order to stop deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. The 2-1 D.C. Circuit ruling said Boasberg’s probe was an “abuse of discretion” that improperly intruded on executive branch decision-making over national security and foreign affairs. The majority said Boasberg’s March 2025 order wasn’t clear enough to support criminal contempt over the migrants’ transfer to El Salvador. The decision, for now, ends a yearlong effort to determine why the flights happened despite the order. Lawyers for the migrants said they’d seek review by the full appeals court. (New York Times / Politico / NBC News / Reuters / Associated Press / Bloomberg / CNN / Washington Post)
\n4/ Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve disclosed financial holdings worth well over $100 million. Kevin Warsh’s Senate ethics filing, submitted as part of his confirmation process, shows he received about $10 million in consulting fees from Stanley Druckenmiller’s family office and holds two Juggernaut Fund stakes valued at more than $50 million each. Sen. Thom Tillis, meanwhile, has said he will block Fed nominees until the Justice Department closes its probe tied to Powell. (Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC)
\n5/ House Republicans accused the main Democratic fundraising platform of misleading Congress and withholding subpoenaed records tied to an investigation into possible foreign donations. The demand from the chairs of the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight committees followed reporting that ActBlue’s outside counsel had warned that the company may have misstated parts of its 2023 letter to Congress explaining its anti-fraud procedures. ActBlue denied wrongdoing and dismissed the inquiry as a partisan effort to damage Democrats’ main online fundraising operation, which raised has $568 million in the first quarter of 2026. (New York Times / Politico / CBS News)
\n6/ The Justice Department released its first “weaponization” report, accusing the Biden administration of selectively enforcing the FACE Act against anti-abortion activists. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department will dismiss some pending cases and approve new FACE Act prosecutions only in “extraordinary” circumstances. The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act makes it a crime to use force, threats, or physical obstruction to stop people from entering or providing services at reproductive health clinics. The 900-page report claims Biden-era officials worked too closely with abortion-rights groups, sought harsher sentences for anti-abortion defendants, and paid little attention to attacks on pregnancy centers and churches. The department also fired 4 prosecutors tied to FACE Act cases. (CNN / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / Washington Post / CBS News)
\n7/ The Justice Department asked to vacate the Jan. 6 convictions of 12 former Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, including several convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump already commuted many of their prison terms last year, but the new filings asked the court to dismiss the convictions and the indictments with prejudice, meaning the cases couldn’t be brought again. (CBS News / Associated Press / NBC News / The Hill)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 203 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 938 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump said new U.S.-Iran talks could resume in Pakistan “over the next two days”; a woman publicly accused Eric Swalwell of raping her in a West Hollywood hotel room in 2018, saying she was “already incapacitated” when she arrived and that, as “he was choking me,” she “lost consciousness” and “thought I died”; a divided federal appeals court shut down...", "date_published": "2026-04-14T16:29:33-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/13/day-1910/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/13/day-1910/", "title": "Day 1910: “No fear.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1910trump-d73eb2.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The U.S. began a naval blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports after JD Vance failed to secure a peace deal in talks with Iran in Islamabad; Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” after the pope condemned the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran; Rep. Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress and suspended his California governor campaign after sexual assault and other sexual misconduct allegations; the Trump administration agreed to restore the Pride flag at New York’s Stonewall National Monument; a federal judge dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its report about Trump’s lewd 2003 letter to Jeffrey Epstein; a federal appeals court temporarily allowed Trump’s White House ballroom project to continue; 50% of local election officials said they were worried about political interference ahead of the midterms, while 45% feared politically motivated investigations and 32% said they had already faced threats, harassment, or abuse; and from the Dept. of Cringe, the White House arranged for a McDonald’s DoorDash delivery to the Oval Office so Trump could turn it into a live promotion for his “no tax on tips” law.
\n1/ The U.S. began a naval blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports after JD Vance failed to secure a peace deal in talks with Iran in Islamabad. Trump framed the blockade as a way to stop what he called Iranian “extortion,” saying Tehran had “chosen not to accept our terms,” and threatened to “finish up the little that is left of Iran” if it didn’t accept a deal. Hours after the blockade took effect, Trump warned that if Iranian “fast attack ships” came “anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED,” calling the method of attack “quick and brutal.” The talks were aimed at extending the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but broke down over U.S. demands that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, surrender or dilute its highly enriched uranium, and give up control over traffic through the strait. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / NPR / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CBS News / CNBC / Axios / Associated Press)
\nU.S. intelligence agencies obtained indications that China may be preparing to send shoulder-fired air defense missiles to Iran. The intelligence remains uncertain, and officials said there’s no evidence the missiles have been delivered or used. Trump, meanwhile, warned Beijing of “big problems” if it arms Tehran. (CNN / Bloomberg / New York Times)
\nTrump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended a UFC fight while JD Vance announced that talks with Iran had failed. Trump entered the arena with UFC president Dana White and family members, took his seat near Rubio, and watched the fights as Vance told reporters that Iran had refused to give up the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon. House Democrats criticized Rubio for missing the talks, calling his attendance at the event “not serious leadership.”(The Guardian / Associated Press)
\n2/ Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” after the pope condemned the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, saying “God does not bless any conflict” and warning that “military action will not create space for freedom or times of peace.” Leo also denounced the “idolatry of self and money” and the “display of power” surrounding the war. Trump responded, saying he didn’t “want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States” and told Leo to “stop catering to the Radical Left” and “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.” He then posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like healer, which was later deleted. Leo, meanwhile, replied that he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and would “continue to speak out loudly against war.” Trump refused to apologize for the now-deleted image and insisted it was “me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross. It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better.” (Associated Press / Bloomberg / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / Axios / CBS News / CNBC / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / The Guardian)
\n3/ Rep. Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress and suspended his California governor campaign after sexual assault and other sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell said he was “deeply sorry” for “mistakes in judgment” and would fight the “serious false allegation” against him, but said it was wrong for his constituents to have him “distracted” from his duties. The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee he supvervised, while the Manhattan district attorney’s office is also investigating one allegation. A former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her, and other women accused him of misconduct including unsolicited nude photos or explicit messages, allegations he has denied as false. (Politico / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Politico / ABC News / Washington Post / CBS News / CNN / CNBC / Axios)
\n4/ The Trump administration agreed to restore the Pride flag at New York’s Stonewall National Monument, reversing a February removal and settling a lawsuit brought by LGBTQ+ and preservation groups. Under a proposed court settlement, the National Park Service will return the flag within 7 days and keep it in place except for maintenance, with the Pride flag flown below the U.S. flag and above the park service flag. A judge still must approve the deal, but the government said it intends to maintain a Pride flag at Stonewall permanently. (Associated Press / New York Times / Reuters)
\n5/ A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its report about Trump’s lewd 2003 letter to Jeffrey Epstein. The judge ruled that the complaint didn’t plausibly show “actual malice,” and said the Journal had sought comment from Trump, the Justice Department, and the FBI before publication. At the time, Trump called the letter a “fake thing” because “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.” House Democrats would later release the letter that he insisted was “nonexistent,” “false, malicious, and defamatory.” The ruling, however, didn’t determine whether Trump wrote the letter. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / New York Times / NBC News)
\n6/ A federal appeals court temporarily allowed Trump’s White House ballroom project to continue, extending a pause until April 17 while sending the case back to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether stopping the work would interfere with White House security. The ruling didn’t resolve whether Trump can even build the $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project without congressional approval, but the court said it couldn’t determine whether the administration’s claimed of security work, including below-ground upgrades, is actually separate from the ballroom itself. (NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n7/ 50% of local election officials said they were worried about political interference ahead of the midterms, while 45% feared politically motivated investigations and 32% said they had already faced threats, harassment, or abuse. Trump has called for Republicans to “take over” voting in key places, the Justice Department has tried to access voter rolls from states, and the FBI raided a Georgia election office. Trump has also replaced many career officials who resisted his 2020 efforts to overturn the election with appointees tied to the election-denial movement. (ProPublica / Politico)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 204 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 939 days.
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", "summary": "The U.S. began a naval blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports after JD Vance failed to secure a peace deal in talks with Iran in Islamabad; Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” after the pope condemned the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran; Rep. Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress and suspended...", "date_published": "2026-04-13T16:02:31-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/09/day-1906/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/09/day-1906/", "title": "Day 1906: “Zero expectations.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1906trump-925ccf.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: House Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to force an immediate vote limiting Trump’s war powers over Iran; the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire; Trump – again – threatened to leave NATO and then used a closed-door meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to complain that U.S. allies “weren’t there when we needed them”; and Melania Trump denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, saying “the lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.”
\n1/ House Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to force an immediate vote limiting Trump’s war powers over Iran. Republicans ended a brief pro forma session before Democrats could seek unanimous consent on a war powers resolution, delaying any House votes until lawmakers return from recess. Senate Democrats said they would force a vote on their own measure. Trump, meanwhile, said he was “very optimistic” about a deal with Iran as Democrats said Congress had to “step in and take control of the wheel.” (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Semafor / The Guardian / Reuters / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal)
\nArmy survivors of the Iranian drone strike in Kuwait disputed the Pentagon’s account, saying their unit was left exposed at an unfortified post where six U.S. service members were killed. They rejected Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claim that one drone slipped through defenses at a fortified site, saying the position had no real protection from aerial attack. (CBS News)
\nTrump said the U.S. military was “loading up and resting” for its “next conquest” even as American forces remain deployed around Iran until Tehran honors what he called the “real agreement.” (CNBC)
\nThe Selective Service System plans to automatically register eligible U.S. men ages 18 to 26 for a military draft by December. There are no formal plans to reinstate the draft. (CNBC)
\n2/ The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. The head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. said the strait was “not open” and that access was being “restricted, conditioned and controlled,” and shipping data showed that about seven ships had passed through in the previous 24 hours compared with about 140 a day before the war. Iran’s military and state-linked outlets have signaled that Tehran plans to “manage and intelligently control the Strait of Hormuz.” It’s unclear, however, whether Iran had formally imposed a toll system or was restricting passage. While Trump had said the truce depended on the “complete, immediate and safe opening” of the strait, he later said Iran “better not be” charging tankers tolls and that, “if they are, they better stop now.” (NBC News / CNBC / Semafor / Reuters / Axios / Bloomberg)
\n3/ Trump – again – threatened to leave NATO and then used a closed-door meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to complain that U.S. allies “weren’t there when we needed them.” Rutte responded by claiming allies were “doing everything the United States is asking” and that “the exact structure is less important than the speed here.” But it’s not clear what, exactly, Trump was asking for as a White House official insisted that Trump had “zero expectations for NATO” and “did not ask them for anything.” Britain, meanwhile, is now assembling a roughly 40-country coalition and France said about 15 countries are planning a “strictly defensive” shipping mission. (Reuters / CNBC / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / New York Times / Semafor / Wall Street Journal / Politico)
\n4/ Melania Trump denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, saying “the lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” She said she had “never had any knowledge” of Epstein’s abuse, called a 2002 email to Maxwell “casual correspondence,” and said “Epstein didn’t introduce me to Donald Trump.” She said she was responding to “lies” and “fake images” linking her to Epstein that have been circulating on social media for years, but it’s not clear why she chose to respond now. She also called on Congress to hold “a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors.” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said he agreed and urged Chairman James Comer to schedule one “immediately.” (CNN / Bloomberg / Reuters / Associated Press / Politico / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 208 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 943 days.
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", "summary": "House Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to force an immediate vote limiting Trump’s war powers over Iran; the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire; Trump – again – threatened to leave NATO and then used a closed-door meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to complain that U.S. allies “weren’t there when we needed them”; and Melania...", "date_published": "2026-04-09T15:24:09-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/08/day-1905/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/08/day-1905/", "title": "Day 1905: “Impatient to make progress.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1905trump-dfbc41.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a “historic and overwhelming victory” over Iran; Iran said the two-week ceasefire with the U.S. was already being violated and warned that further talks were “unreasonable” after Israel struck Lebanon in its heaviest attacks yet; Iran will limit traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to about a dozen ships a day and require a toll payment during the two-week ceasefire; former Attorney General Pam Bondi won’t sit for her scheduled April 14 deposition before the House Oversight Committee on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files; Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, expanding the liberal majority and effectively locking in control of the court until at least 2030; and Republican Clay Fuller won the special runoff election for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.
\n1/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a “historic and overwhelming victory” over Iran, but said U.S. forces would remain in the region and ready to “restart at a moment’s notice” if needed. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine clarified the ceasefire “is a pause” and the joint force “remains ready” to resume combat. JD Vance, meanwhile, called the agreement a “fragile truce,” said Trump was “impatient to make progress.” Vance will also lead U.S. talks with Iran in Islamabad alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as the administration tries to turn the two-week pause into a longer deal. (Politico / Axios / CNBC / CBS News / Bloomberg / The Hill / Washington Post)
\n2/ Iran said the two-week ceasefire with the U.S. was already being violated and warned that further talks were “unreasonable” after Israel struck Lebanon in its heaviest attacks yet, killing at least 182 people. Iran’s parliamentary speaker said Washington had breached three parts of Tehran’s framework by allowing the “massacres in Lebanon,” an alleged drone incursion into Iranian airspace, and insisting that Iran wouldn’t be allowed to enrich uranium. But Trump, the White House, and Benjamin Netanyahu said Lebanon was never part of the deal, with Trump calling it “a separate skirmish.”Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Lebanon was “not part of the ceasefire agreement,” and JD Vance saying Iran “thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t.” (Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / CNBC / The Guardian / CBS News / Axios / Politico / The Guardian)
\n3/ Iran will limit traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to about a dozen ships a day and require a toll payment during the two-week ceasefire. Ships would have to coordinate with Iranian forces and pay the equivalent of about $1 per barrel of oil on board in crypto. Trump and the White House, however, demanded that the strait reopen “without limitation, including tolls.” Charging for passage through Hormuz would violate the longstanding principle of peaceful navigation through an international strait. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / The Hill / New York Times / CNBC / Politico)
\n4/ Former Attorney General Pam Bondi won’t sit for her scheduled April 14 deposition before the House Oversight Committee on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The department she now longer works for said the subpoena no longer binds her to appear because Trump fired her, claiming she was summoned in her official capacity as attorney general. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said the subpoena applies to Bondi “whether she is the Attorney General or not” and threatened contempt if she refuses to appear. (ABC News / CBS News / Bloomberg / Politico / Axios / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n5/ Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, expanding the liberal majority and effectively locking in control of the court until at least 2030. Taylor, a state appeals judge and former Democratic lawmaker, defeated conservative appeals judge Maria Lazar for the 10-year term. (NBC News / Washington Post / CNN / New York Times / Politico)
\n6/ Republican Clay Fuller won the special runoff election for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Fuller won by 12 percentage points – smaller than Trump’s 37-point win in the district in 2024. (Politico / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 209 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 244 days.
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", "summary": "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a “historic and overwhelming victory” over Iran; Iran said the two-week ceasefire with the U.S. was already being violated and warned that further talks were “unreasonable” after Israel struck Lebanon in its heaviest attacks yet; Iran will limit traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to about a dozen ships a day and require a toll...", "date_published": "2026-04-08T15:35:52-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/07/day-1904/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/07/day-1904/", "title": "Day 1904: “War crimes.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/1904trump-805511.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran after threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the Strait of Hormuz didn’t reopen by 8 p.m. Eastern; more than 50 House Democrats and at least two Democratic senators called for Trump’s removal through impeachment or the 25th Amendment; the U.S. struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island; Trump and JD Vance publicly intervened in Hungary’s election campaign, rallying support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; the Education Department terminated six civil rights settlements that had required schools to protect transgender students; and 35% of Americans are confident in Trump’s ability to make good decisions when it comes to Iran, while 64% are not.
\n1/ Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran after threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the Strait of Hormuz didn’t reopen by 8 p.m. Eastern. Trump said he would “suspend the bombing and attack of Iran” if Tehran agreed to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” calling it a “double sided CEASEFIRE” and that Iran had offered a “workable” 10-point plan. As of now Iran hasn’t publicly confirmed the deal, leaving it unclear whether Tehran had accepted Trump’s terms or whether this was, as Trump put it, the basis “to be finalized and consummated” over the next two weeks. The proposal emerged after Pakistan publicly urged a two-week extension and asked Iran to reopen the strait during that period “to allow diplomacy to run its course.” [Editor’s note: This is breaking news. I’ll keep the site updated and be back tomorrow with a full recap.] (Axios / Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / Politico / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)
\n2/ More than 50 House Democrats and at least two Democratic senators called for Trump’s removal through impeachment or the 25th Amendment after he threatened to destroy “a whole civilization.” Democratic leaders including Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer said Trump’s threat to “intentionally destroy the power, water, or basic infrastructure” used by civilians “would constitute a war crime” and “a moral failure.” Jeffries demanded Congress return to session “immediately” to stop a “reckless war of choice.” Any 25th Amendment move, however, would still require JD Vance, a majority of Trump’s Cabinet, and potentially two-thirds of both chambers. (Axios / MS Now / New York Times / The Guardian / HuffPost / The Hill / The Guardian)
\n3/ The U.S. struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, stopping short of hitting the island’s oil infrastructure. U.S. officials said the operation hit more than 50 sites, while other accounts put the total above 90. The targets appeared to include sites that had already been bombed in earlier rounds. (Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Reuters)
\n4/ Trump and JD Vance publicly intervened in Hungary’s election campaign, rallying support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán days before a vote that could end his 16 years in power. Vance told supporters in Budapest to “stand with Viktor Orbán,” while Trump called Orbán “a fantastic man” and said he’s with him “all the way.” Orbán is trailing in polls ahead of the April 12 election. (Semafor / New York Times / CNBC / BBC / The Guardian / Bloomberg / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n5/ The Education Department terminated six civil rights settlements that had required schools to protect transgender students. The agreements covered preferred names and pronouns, anti-harassment training, and access to bathrooms aligned with gender identity. The move stripped away federal enforcement of protections negotiated under the Obama and Biden administrations and, in at least one case, pressured a Pennsylvania district to repeal its own anti-discrimination rules under threat of investigation and possible funding cuts. (Associated Press / Reuters / NBC News / New York Times)
\npoll/ 35% of Americans are confident in Trump’s ability to make good decisions when it comes to Iran, while 64% are not. (Pew Research Center)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 210 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 945 days.
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", "summary": "Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran after threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the Strait of Hormuz didn’t reopen by 8 p.m. Eastern; more than 50 House Democrats and at least two Democratic senators called for Trump’s removal through impeachment or the 25th Amendment; the U.S. struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island; Trump and JD...", "date_published": "2026-04-07T15:12:16-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/06/day-1903/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/06/day-1903/", "title": "Day 1903: “An unhinged madman.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1903trump-76707d.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” in the next 48 hours or it would be “living in Hell” when he was done “blowing up the entire country”; Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 45-day ceasefire; Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15E over Iran and hit a separate A-10 during the rescue effort; Trump asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion for defense – a record request – while cutting non-defense programs by about $73 billion; and the Supreme Court vacated an appeals court ruling upholding Stephen Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction.
\n1/ Trump demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” in the next 48 hours or it would be “living in Hell” when he was done “blowing up the entire country.” Trump said Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” warning that “There will be nothing like it!!!” He ended his Easter Sunday Truth Social post with: “Praise be to Allah.” At the White House on Monday, he doubled down, saying Iran had until 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday or else “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again” by “12 o’clock tomorrow night.” He added: “We may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation.” Trump had already threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and other infrastructure, but postponed the action at least twice, first by 48 hours, and later by 5 more days, before resetting the deadline for Tuesday evening. Trump called another extension “highly unlikely.” When asked if the war with Iran is winding down or escalating, Trump responded: “I can’t tell you, I don’t know. I can’t tell you.” Democrats, meanwhile, called Trump “an unhinged madman” who was “dangerous and mentally unbalanced” for “threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies.” (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / ABC News / NBC News / NPR / CNN / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n2/ Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 45-day ceasefire, sending mediators a 10-point counterproposal that demanded a permanent end to the war, sanctions relief, reconstruction, and guarantees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the response “significant,” but “not good enough.” (NPR / Axios / Bloomberg / CNBC / Reuters / Axios / ABC News)
\n3/ Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15E over Iran and hit a separate A-10 during the rescue effort, forcing its pilot to eject in or near Kuwaiti airspace. All three U.S. aviators survived. The F-15 pilot was recovered within hours, and the wounded weapons systems officer was rescued nearly two days later. Two rescue helicopters were also hit, but both returned safely. The U.S. had already lost three other F-15s earlier in the war to friendly fire. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly claimed that Iran had “no air defenses” and that the U.S. had total control of Iranian skies. Meanwhile, Hegseth forced out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Gen. David Hodne, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr. in the middle of the Iran war. (Axios / New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post / Axios / Washington Post / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / ABC News / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times / CBS News)
\n4/ Trump asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion for defense – a record request – while cutting non-defense programs by about $73 billion. The proposal would direct more than $1.1 trillion through regular appropriations and another $350 billion through reconciliation, a move meant to bypass a Senate filibuster. The fiscal 2027 budget would also cut $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, put a 15% cap on NIH indirect costs, and reduce HHS spending by 12.5%. The White House said it was eliminating “wasteful” or “woke” spending, but Congress rejected similar domestic cuts last year. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / Axios / ABC News)
\n5/ The Supreme Court vacated an appeals court ruling upholding Stephen Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction. Bannon, who was convicted in 2022 on two misdemeanor counts for defying a House subpoena from the Jan. 6 investigation, has already served his four-month prison sentence and paid a fine. The Trump administration told the court in February that dismissing the case was “in the interests of justice.” (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 211 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 946 days.
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", "summary": "Trump demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” in the next 48 hours or it would be “living in Hell” when he was done “blowing up the entire country”; Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 45-day ceasefire; Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15E over Iran and hit a separate A-10 during the rescue effort; Trump asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion...", "date_published": "2026-04-06T16:08:29-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/02/day-1899/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/02/day-1899/", "title": "Day 1899: “We can’t take care of day care. We’re fighting wars.” ", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1899trump-d11eff.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general; in a 19-minute address, Trump tried to sell the U.S.-Israeli war to the nation five weeks after starting it, saying the campaign was “nearing completion,” but also that the U.S. would hit Iran “extremely hard” for another two to three weeks; the U.S. struck a major bridge in Iran a day after Trump threatened to bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages”; Trump said it was “not possible” for the federal government to fund child care, Medicaid, and Medicare because “we’re fighting wars”; Trump will sign an order to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees who’ve missed pay during the record-long partial shutdown; and an appeals court threw out the nine-year prison sentence of the former Colorado county clerk who tampered with her county’s voting equipment while trying to prove false claims about the 2020 election.
\n1/ Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, abruptly ending a 14-month tenure derailed by Bondi’s mishandling of the Epstein files and failure to win cases against Trump’s perceived political enemies. Trump called Bondi “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend,” saying “We love Pam.” Bondi had claimed an Epstein “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review,” but the Justice Department later said the list didn’t exist. The House Oversight Committee, meanwhile, had already subpoenaed Bondi and still expects her to testify. Blanche, a former Trump defense lawyer, said Bondi led the department with “strength and conviction” and promised to keep “doing everything in our power to keep America safe.” (Reuters / Associated Press / NPR / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Axios)
\nThe Justice Department said Trump doesn’t have to comply the 1978 Presidential Records Act, claiming that the post-Watergate law requiring presidents to preserve official records and turn them over to the National Archives is unconstitutional. The law clarifies that presidential records belong to the government, not the president. (CBS News / NBC News)
\nTrump privately asked advisers whether he should replace Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The White House said Trump still has confidence in Gabbard, while Trump said she was “a little bit different” and “softer” than him on Iran, but still “available to serve.” (The Guardian / Reuters)
\n2/ In a 19-minute address, Trump tried to sell the U.S.-Israeli war to the nation five weeks into it, saying the campaign was “nearing completion,” but also that the U.S. would hit Iran “extremely hard” for another two to three weeks to “bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.” He called the war a success, said U.S. forces had delivered “swift, decisive, overwhelming victories,” and claimed “never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating large-scale losses in a matter of weeks,” even as Iran continued firing missiles and drones across the region. But he offered no clear path to end the war and dismissed the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, as a problem for others while insisting that it would “open up naturally.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CBS News / NPR / ABC News / NBC News / Bloomberg / Semafor / Axios / Politico)
\n3/ The U.S. struck a major bridge in Iran a day after Trump threatened to bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages.” Trump celebrated the strike and warned that “much more” would follow unless Iran made a deal. The attack expanded the war to infrastructure that Iran claimed was civilian, but U.S. officials, without evidence, described as a military supply route. It’s unclear whether the bridge was open to civilian traffic or used by Iran’s military at the time. (Axios / The Guardian / New York Times)
\n4/ Trump said it was “not possible” for the federal government to fund child care, Medicaid, and Medicare because “we’re fighting wars” and “we have to take care of one thing: military protection,” adding that the U.S. “can’t take care of day care” and that states “should pay for it too.” Trump suggested states “have to raise their taxes” to cover the costs and that maybe the federal government “could lower our taxes a little bit to them to make up” for it. He added that he told Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought: “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state. We can’t take care of day care. We’re a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people.” The White House later said Trump was referring to fraud in those programs, despite his earlier promises to protect Medicare and make child care more affordable. (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / New Republic / The Hill)
\n5/ Trump will sign an order to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees who’ve missed pay during the record-long partial shutdown. The move comes as Republican leaders have settled on a two-step plan to first pass a Senate bill to reopen most of DHS, and then later use reconciliation to fund ICE and Border Patrol separately. The House, however, hasn’t acted on the Senate-passed bill as conservatives oppose funding DHS without ICE and Border Patrol. It’s not clear how the administration would pay all DHS workers, though White House guidance suggested it could draw on existing funds, as it did for TSA employees last week. (Associated Press / CBS News / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Reuters / CNBC / Semafor)
\n6/ An appeals court threw out the nine-year prison sentence of the former Colorado county clerk who tampered with her county’s voting equipment while trying to prove false claims about the 2020 election. Tina Peters’ conviction still stands and the judges ordered her to be resentenced, saying the trial court improperly considered her protected speech when imposing the sentence. The panel also rejected Trump’s attempt to pardon her, saying a president’s clemency power doesn’t apply to state crimes. Peters will remain in prison for now while the case returns to the trial court where a judge will decide her new sentence. (Colorado Sun / Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 215 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 950 days.
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", "summary": "Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general; in a 19-minute address, Trump tried to sell the U.S.-Israeli war to the nation five weeks after starting it, saying the campaign was “nearing completion,” but also that the U.S. would hit Iran “extremely hard” for another two to three weeks; the...", "date_published": "2026-04-02T15:28:38-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/01/day-1898/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/04/01/day-1898/", "title": "Day 1898: “STUPID.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1898trump-d0d5e4.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, saying leaving the alliance was “beyond reconsideration”; Trump said the U.S. would consider a ceasefire with Iran only when the Strait of Hormuz is open, a day after saying the war could end in “two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three”; Trump will deliver an address “to the nation to provide an important update on Iran”; Trump called the United States “STUPID” for allowing birthright citizenship after it appeared likely that the Supreme Court would reject his effort to end it; Senate and House Republicans agreed to end the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown; Trump signed an executive order to create state-by-state lists of eligible voters and to limit mail ballots to people on those lists; 33% of Americans think Trump has a clear plan for handling the Iran war; and 31% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy – a record low.
\n1/ Trump threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, saying leaving the alliance was “beyond reconsideration,” and complained that support for the U.S. war in Iran “should be automatic” because “we were there for them” but “they weren’t there for us.” He called the 32-nation alliance a “paper tiger,” said “I was never swayed by NATO,” and added that “Putin knows that too.” Trump also mocked Britain’s military, saying, “You don’t even have a navy,” and dismissed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying, “He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter.” Trump, however, can’t legally withdraw from NATO on his own, because U.S. law requires either a two-thirds Senate vote or Congress passing a law allowing the withdrawal. (The Telegraph / Financial Times / New York Times / Politico / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Bloomberg / CBS News / The Hill)
\n2/ Trump said the U.S. would consider a ceasefire with Iran only when the Strait of Hormuz is open, a day after saying the war could end in “two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.” He added that Iran “doesn’t have to make a deal” for the U.S. to leave. Instead, Trump said Iran will be “put into the stone ages” and “then we’ll leave.” Trump also claimed Iran had asked for a ceasefire, which Iran has denied. (Politico / Bloomberg / Reuters / Financial Times / CNN / Axios / Bloomberg)
\n3/ Trump will deliver an address “to the nation to provide an important update on Iran.” Trump’s speech will be broadcast live across all four major networks – CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox – beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern, and he’s expected to say the war was winding down, argue that U.S. forces had already met their main military goals, and repeat that the U.S. could leave in “two or three weeks.” Trump’s address will interrupt the two-hour season finale of The Masked Singer and a two-hour special episode of Survivor. (Politico / CNBC / ABC News / Bloomberg / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n4/ Trump called the United States “STUPID” for allowing birthright citizenship after it appeared likely that the Supreme Court would reject his effort to end it. Trump, who was the first sitting president to attend Supreme Court arguments, left shortly after Solicitor General D. John Sauer finished defending the administration’s attempt to narrow the 14th Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts called the government’s reasoning “quirky” and said, “It’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution,” while several conservative justices also questioned the administration’s reliance on “domicile” and how officials would determine citizenship at birth. The order, which lower courts have blocked and has never taken effect, would deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. unless a parent is a citizen or green card holder. A ruling expected by late June or early July. (CNBC / Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg / NBC News / ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n5/ Senate and House Republicans agreed to end the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown, reviving the Senate plan that House Republicans and Trump rejected last week. The bill would fund DHS through Sept. 30, push ICE and Border Patrol funding into a separate budget reconciliation bill that wouldn’t need Democratic votes. Trump directed Republicans to send him that immigration enforcement bill by June 1. (Reuters / NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
\n6/ Trump signed an executive order to create state-by-state lists of eligible voters and to limit mail ballots to people on those lists. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to help compile the lists, requires ballot tracking barcodes, and threatens federal funding for states that don’t comply. State election officials in Arizona, Oregon, and elsewhere said they would challenge the order in court. (NBC News / Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Reuters)
\npoll/ 33% of Americans think Trump has a clear plan for handling the Iran war, while 67% say he does not. (CNN)
\npoll/ 31% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy – a record low. (CNN)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 216 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 951 days.
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", "summary": "Trump threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, saying leaving the alliance was “beyond reconsideration”; Trump said the U.S. would consider a ceasefire with Iran only when the Strait of Hormuz is open, a day after saying the war could end in “two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three”; Trump will deliver an address “to the nation to provide...", "date_published": "2026-04-01T15:23:15-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/31/day-1897/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/31/day-1897/", "title": "Day 1897: “Take care of it.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1897trump-bcf029.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump told U.S. allies to “go get your own oil,” “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT”; U.S. gas prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first since the summer of 2022; the Supreme Court ruled against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors; a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop construction on the White House ballroom; a federal judge ruled that Trump’s executive order cutting off federal funding for NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment; and Rep. Eric Swalwell demanded that the FBI stop any release of old investigative files tied to his contacts with a suspected Chinese operative.
\n1/ Trump told U.S. allies to “go get your own oil,” “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” accusing NATO partners of refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after several limited direct support, including reported restrictions on access to airspace and bases. He then warned that “the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said other countries “ought be prepared to step up.” But Trump later said he wasn’t pulling the U.S. military out of the strait “quite yet,” saying U.S. allies would eventually have to “come in and take care of it.” (Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / The Hill / Bloomberg / CBS News / Washington Post / CNBC / Associated Press / ABC News / Axios)
\n2/ U.S. gas prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first since the summer of 2022, which was caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One month ago, the national average price for a gallon of gas was less than $3. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has pushed oil above $100 a barrel, tightening global fuel supplies. (Axios / NPR / Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times)
\n3/ The Supreme Court ruled against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. The justices sent the case back to the lower courts, finding that the law was an “egregious assault” on free speech and the First Amendment. The law banned licensed mental health providers in Colorado from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity through talk therapy. More than 20 states have similar laws. (ABC News / NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post)
\n4/ A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop construction on the White House ballroom, ruling that Trump can’t proceed with the $400 million project without congressional authorization. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the National Trust for Historic Preservation was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close” to giving the president the authority he claimed, writing that the president is the White House’s “steward,” not its owner. The ruling comes after the East Wing had already been demolished and two days before the National Capital Planning Commission was expected to consider the project. (ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post)
\n5/ A federal judge ruled that Trump’s executive order cutting off federal funding for NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it. The judge said the government can’t use “the power of the purse” to punish speech, writing that the order amounted to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, because targeted broadcasters over coverage that Trump described as biased. Congress, however, has already rescinded public media funding and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has shut down. (Associated Press / NPR / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN)
\n6/ Rep. Eric Swalwell demanded that the FBI stop any release of old investigative files tied to his contacts with a suspected Chinese operative. The cease and desist letter followed reports that FBI Director Kash Patel had agents review and redact the files for possible public release, even though Swalwell was never charged and the House Ethics Committee later closed its review without action. Swalwell, a Trump critic, is running for governor of California. (Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 217 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 952 days.
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", "summary": "Trump told U.S. allies to “go get your own oil,” “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT”; U.S. gas prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first since the summer of 2022; the Supreme Court ruled against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors; a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop construction on the White House...", "date_published": "2026-03-31T14:20:55-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/30/day-1896/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/30/day-1896/", "title": "Day 1896: “Fraud and waste and abuse.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1896trump-b8c556.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump said his “preference” would be to “take the oil in Iran” and floated seizing Kharg Island; hackers linked to Iran accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account; House Republicans are considering cutting health care spending to help pay for a reconciliation bill that could provide as much as $200 billion for the Iran war and immigration enforcement; the Department of Homeland Security remained shut down after 44 days, setting a record for the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history; the Trump administration’s Supreme Court case against birthright citizenship relies in part on legal arguments advanced by white supremacist and anti-Chinese activists in the late 1800s; Trump’s White House ballroom project includes a “massive” military complex under the site of the demolished East Wing; and 33% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, the lowest rating of his second term in office.
\n1/ Trump said his “preference” would be to “take the oil in Iran” and floated seizing Kharg Island, the terminal that handles most of Iran’s crude exports. The comments push U.S. oil above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022 as traders priced in further disruptions to global supply. Trump then warned that unless Iran immediately reopened the Strait of Hormuz and accepted a deal, the U.S. would “completely” destroy Iran’s oil wells, power plants, and Kharg Island. He also argued that “regime change” in Iran was already complete because so many senior leaders had been killed, while insisting that ceasefire talks were making progress because Iran had agreed to let 20 more oil cargo ships pass through Hormuz. Iran, however, publicly denied direct negotiations and rejected Washington’s demands as unreasonable. (NBC News / Bloomberg / CNBC / CNN / New York Times)
\n2/ Hackers linked to Iran accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account, posting photos, a résumé, and what appeared to be more than 300 old emails online. The FBI confirmed the breach and said the material was “historical in nature,” but contained no government information. The leaked messages appeared to date from roughly 2010 to 2022 and mostly covered personal matters like travel, housing, and family. It’s not clear when the account was breached, whether the hackers are holding back more material, or whether every file they posted is authentic. (New York Times / CBS News / Politico / Axios / Reuters / Bloomberg / TechCrunch / CNN)
\n3/ House Republicans are considering cutting health care spending to help pay for a reconciliation bill that could provide as much as $200 billion for the Iran war and immigration enforcement. The options under discussion include proposals Republicans describe as targeting “fraud and waste and abuse,” including a revived Affordable Care Act payment change that the Congressional Budget Office previously said would save more than $30 billion, but leave 300,000 more people uninsured. (Axios / Rolling Stone)
\n4/ The Department of Homeland Security remained shut down after 44 days, setting a record for the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. Senate Republicans declined to advance the House’s stopgap funding bill, days after House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate measure that would have reopened most of DHS but excluded ICE and Border Patrol. Trump, meanwhile, called on Congress to return from recess to “permanently fix this problem,” while the White House said he wants lawmakers to “fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security entirely.” (New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News / Axios / NPR / Punchbowl)
\n5/ The Trump administration’s Supreme Court case against birthright citizenship relies in part on legal arguments advanced by white supremacist and anti-Chinese activists in the late 1800s. The administration wants to deny automatic citizenship to U.S.-born children if their parents were in the country illegally or in the U.S. temporarily. The brief cites Alexander Porter Morse, who argued for segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, and other 19th-century figures who tried to ban citizenship for the children of Chinese immigrants. A ruling is expected by summer, which could affect hundreds of thousands of future U.S.-born children each year. (Washington Post / NBC News / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press)
\n6/ Trump’s White House ballroom project includes a “massive” military complex under the site of the demolished East Wing. Trump said the ballroom “essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under.” But what exactly is being built below the ballroom is unclear. The site sits above the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, which is the emergency bunker under the former East Wing. The White House only confirmed that the military is “making some upgrades” to its facilities there. (NBC News / Reuters)
\npoll/ 33% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, the lowest rating of his second term in office. (University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 218 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 953 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump said his “preference” would be to “take the oil in Iran” and floated seizing Kharg Island; hackers linked to Iran accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account; House Republicans are considering cutting health care spending to help pay for a reconciliation bill that could provide as much as $200 billion for the Iran war and immigration enforcement; the...", "date_published": "2026-03-30T15:26:05-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/26/day-1892/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/26/day-1892/", "title": "Day 1892: “We’ve gotta get our priorities straight.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1892trump-26e328.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump, bypassing Congress, ordered Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin “to immediately pay our TSA Agents”; Trump, denying he was “desperate” to make a deal with Iran, said Tehran had “better get serious soon, before it is too late”; the Iran war and higher energy prices will push U.S. inflation to 4.2% this year; Trump interrupted a Cabinet meeting discussing the war in Iran, long security lines at airports, and rising oil prices to explain how he’s replaced White House pens with custom black-and-gold Sharpies; Trump’s signature will be added to U.S. dollars to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence; and despite referring to the mail voting as “mail-in cheating,” Trump defended voting by mail in Florida’s special election, saying “because I’m president” and “I had a lot of different things” to do.
\n1/ Trump, bypassing Congress, ordered Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin “to immediately pay our TSA Agents,” seeking to ease airport disruptions during the partial government shutdown that left Department of Homeland Security unfunded. It’s not clear, however, what legal authority Trump would use or where those funds would come from. The partial shutdown, now in its sixth week, has left TSA officers unpaid, which has contributed to staffing shortages, long security lines, and warnings of possible airport closures. Senate Republicans and Democrats, meanwhile, still haven’t reached a deal to reopen DHS, with Republicans proposing to fund all of DHS except ICE’s deportation operations and Democrats demanding limits on ICE tactics, including rules on masks and judicial warrants. (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
\n2/ Trump, denying he was “desperate” to make a deal with Iran, said Tehran had “better get serious soon, before it is too late.” After threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure, he then announced a five-day pause and today extended it by another 10 days, saying that the latest delay came at Iran’s request and that talks were “going very well.” He also insisted Iran was “begging us to make a deal” to end the war. But Iranian officials publicly denied direct negotiations with Washington, saying messages were being passed through mediators. “We’ll see if they want to do it. If they don’t, we’re their worst nightmare,” Trump said. “In the meantime, we’ll just keep blowing them away.” (ABC News / CNBC / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Associated Press / Washington Post / Axios / Reuters)
\n3/ The Iran war and higher energy prices will push U.S. inflation to 4.2% this year, up 1.2 percentage points from its December forecast, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD said the disruptions tied to the conflict, including reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, are raising oil, gas, and fertilizer costs, will push up the costs of food and consumer goods. Markets, meanwhile, suffered their largest daily decline since the war began, with the S&P 500 falling 1.7% and the Nasdaq sliding into correction territory. (Bloomberg / Axios / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / CNBC / Associated Press / New York Times)
\n4/ Trump interrupted a Cabinet meeting discussing the war in Iran, long security lines at airports, and rising oil prices to explain how he’s replaced White House pens with custom black-and-gold Sharpies. “See this pen right here?” Trump said. “This pen is an interesting example.” He said the White House had once stocked “beautiful” ballpoint pens that cost $1,000 each, and that he contacted Sharpie and insisted on paying $5 per marker. Online searches, however, show that typical Sharpies usually sell for about $1 to $2 apiece. “We’ve gotta get our priorities straight,” Trump said. (Associated Press)
\n5/ Trump’s signature will be added to U.S. dollars to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. It’s the first time in U.S. history that the sitting president’s signature appears on American currency. The Treasury Department said the first $100 bills with Trump’s signature will be printed in June, with other bills to follow. The overall design of the notes will remain unchanged, but Trump’s name will appear on the bills until a future administration decides to remove it. (Reuters / Vanity Fair / New York Times)
\n6/ Despite referring to the mail voting as “mail-in cheating,” Trump defended voting by mail in Florida’s special election, saying “because I’m president” and “I had a lot of different things” to do. He explained that his mail-in ballot qualified as part of an “exception,” but he didn’t say which one, even though he had been in West Palm Beach during the early voting period and his polling place was near Mar-a-Lago. (NBC News / New York Times)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 222 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 957 days.
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\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump, bypassing Congress, ordered Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin “to immediately pay our TSA Agents”; Trump, denying he was “desperate” to make a deal with Iran, said Tehran had “better get serious soon, before it is too late”; the Iran war and higher energy prices will push U.S. inflation to 4.2% this year; Trump interrupted a Cabinet meeting discussing the...", "date_published": "2026-03-26T16:41:20-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/25/day-1891/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/25/day-1891/", "title": "Day 1891: “We can’t tell him every single thing that happens.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1891trump-bf082e.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump’s daily Iran war briefing includes a roughly two-minute military video montage showing the “biggest, most successful strikes” on Iranian targets; Iran rejected Trump’s ceasefire offer, saying the Americans were “negotiating with yourselves”; former special counsel Jack Smith’s team wrote in a 2023 memo that Trump kept classified documents “pertinent to certain business interests” after leaving office; Trump’s Justice Department agreed to pay Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn about $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging he was maliciously prosecuted in the Russia investigation; Senate Republicans rejected Democrats’ latest offer to reopen the Department of Homeland Security; Democrats flipped a Republican-held Florida House seat that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort; 59% of Americans say Trump’s military action against Iran has gone too far; 58% of voters disapprove of Trump’s military action against Iran; and 42% of voters think the war with Iran will make the world less safe.
\n1/ Trump’s daily Iran war briefing includes a roughly two-minute military video montage showing the “biggest, most successful strikes” on Iranian targets. One official described the curated video as clips of “stuff blowing up,” while another defended the format saying “we can’t tell him every single thing that happens” and that the briefings tend to get a better response when they focus on victories rather than setbacks. The limits of that approach, however, were noted when Trump wasn’t briefed on an Iranian strike in Saudi Arabia that hit five U.S. Air Force refueling planes, but instead learned about it from media reports. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, rejected that Trump doesn’t receive the full range of developments in the war, calling it “an absolutely false assertion” and saying Trump “actively seeks and solicits the opinions of everyone in the room”. (NBC News)
\n2/ Iran rejected Trump’s ceasefire offer, saying the Americans were “negotiating with yourselves.” Iranian state media and Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran would not entertain “a temporary cease-fire,” wanted “reparations for war damage,” and “recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.” The White House, meanwhile, said talks with Tehran remained “productive.” Karoline Leavitt added that if Iran refused a deal, Trump was prepared to have it “hit harder then they have ever been hit before.” (CNBC / Bloomberg / New York Times / Axios / Associated Press / Politico / NPR / Wall Street Journal)
\n3/ Former special counsel Jack Smith’s team wrote in a 2023 memo that Trump kept classified documents “pertinent to certain business interests” after leaving office, giving investigators what prosecutors described as “a motive for retaining them.” Rep. Jamie Raskin called the memo “damning” and said Republicans, in a “frenzied search” for material to discredit the inquiry, instead turned over evidence about “your boss’s conduct.” Raskin demanded more records from Attorney General Pam Bondi and said the department must stop “cherry-picking investigative materials.” The memo further said investigators identified a classified map Trump “may have shown to individuals on board” a 2022 flight to Bedminster, with Susie Wiles cited as a witness. The White House and Justice Department, meanwhile, said Trump “did nothing wrong” and dismissed the claims as “salacious and untrue” and a “political stunt.” (Axios / Politico / MS Now / NBC News / The Hill / The Guardian / Washington Post)
\n4/ Trump’s Justice Department agreed to pay Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn about $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging he was maliciously prosecuted in the Russia investigation. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, then later tried to withdraw that plea. Trump pardoned him in 2020. The settlement reversed a position the department had taken under Biden, when it won dismissal of Flynn’s civil suit in 2024. Flynn was seeking at least $50 million in damages and the DOJ called the deal an “important step in redressing” what it described as a “historic injustice.” (Associated Press / ABC News / Bloomberg / CBS News)
\n5/ Senate Republicans rejected Democrats’ latest offer to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, extending the five-week partial shutdown that’s been disrupting airport screening. Democrats said any deal must include limits on ICE tactics, including rules on masks and judicial warrants. Republicans, meanwhile, said the proposal was “not even close to being real” and accused Democrats of trying to pair DHS funding with ICE restrictions while refusing to fund ICE enforcement. (Politico / New York Times / Bloomberg / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)
\n6/ Democrats flipped a Republican-held Florida House seat that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Emily Gregory beat Jon Maples 51% to 49% in a special election after Mike Caruso resigned to become Palm Beach County clerk. Trump carried the district by about 11 points in 2024 and Caruso won by 19 points that same year. Gregory, a first-time candidate, centered her campaign on affordability, insurance, and health care. (NBC News / Associated Press / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Washington Post)
\npoll/ 59% of Americans say Trump’s military action against Iran has gone too far, while 26% say its about right, and 13% say it has not gone far enough. (AP-NORC)
\npoll/ 58% of voters disapprove of Trump’s military action against Iran, while 42% support it. (Fox News)
\npoll/ 42% of voters think the war with Iran will make the world less safe, while 35% think it will make the world safer, and 20% think it will make no difference. (Quinnipiac)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 223 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 958 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump’s daily Iran war briefing includes a roughly two-minute military video montage showing the “biggest, most successful strikes” on Iranian targets; Iran rejected Trump’s ceasefire offer, saying the Americans were “negotiating with yourselves”; former special counsel Jack Smith’s team wrote in a 2023 memo that Trump kept classified documents “pertinent to certain business interests” after leaving office; Trump’s Justice Department...", "date_published": "2026-03-25T16:09:01-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/24/day-1890/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/24/day-1890/", "title": "Day 1890: “Talking sense.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1890trump-8ce248.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Trump administration ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy roughly 2,000 to 3,000 troops to the Middle East; the U.S. sent Iran a 15-point proposal to end the war as Trump claimed “this war has been won”; Senate Republicans proposed a plan to fund and reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security while excluding ICE’s deportation operations; Minnesota sued the Trump administration to force the release of evidence in three shootings by federal officers during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis; Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2022 investigation into Kash Patel subpoenaed more than two years of his phone metadata, text logs, online account details, billing records, IP addresses, and bank account information; a Justice Department prosecutor conceded that the government didn’t have evidence of fraud or other criminal misconduct in the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project; Trump voted by mail in a Florida special election after declaring that “mail-in voting means mail-in cheating” and “we got to do something about it all”; 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance; and 49% of U.S. workers were classified as “struggling” in their lives, while 46% were classified as “thriving” — the first time Gallup found more workers struggling than thriving.
\n1/ The Trump administration ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy roughly 2,000 to 3,000 troops to the Middle East. The administration hasn’t said what the troops will be used for and a decision to send troops into Iran hasn’t been made. But the move gives Trump an ready ground force that could be used to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, seize strategic islands or coastal territory, or support an operation targeting Iran’s highly enriched uranium. The 82nd would join about 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region, along with thousands of Marines now heading there. (Politico / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / The Guardian)
\n2/ The U.S. sent Iran a 15-point proposal to end the war as Trump claimed “this war has been won” and that Iran had agreed it would “never have a nuclear weapon.” He said negotiations were underway, that Tehran wanted “to make a deal so badly,” and that the U.S. was “talking to the right people” as Iran was “talking sense.” Trump also said Iran had delivered a “very big present” tied to “oil and gas,” but he did not explain the claim. Iran, however, publicly denied that any negotiations were happening. The proposal, sent through Pakistan, appeared to address Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and the Strait of Hormuz. But it wasn’t clear whether Tehran would accept it, whether Israel supported it, or who in Iran could authorize a deal after Israeli strikes killed senior leaders. The fighting, meanwhile, continued, with Iran launching more missile attacks on Israel, Iraq, and Gulf states. (New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / The Guardian / Axios / CNBC)
\n3/ Senate Republicans proposed a plan to fund and reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security while excluding ICE’s deportation operations. The shutdown began Feb. 14 and has led to long airport lines, missed paychecks, and rising absenteeism among TSA workers. The framework would fund TSA, FEMA, Border Patrol, and ICE’s non-deportation operations. Republicans would then try to use the filibuster-proof reconciliation process to restore funding for ICE’s deportation arm and pass parts of the unrelated SAVE America Act. The two-step strategy, however, still faces an uphill battle with Democrats saying the plan still lacks the immigration enforcement limits they’ve demanded, and Sen. Mike Lee, the Republican sponsoring the SAVE America Act, saying: “It’s hard to imagine how the SAVE America Act could be passed through reconciliation. And by ‘hard’ I mean ‘essentially impossible.’” Trump, meanwhile, said he would take a “hard look” but was “pretty much not happy” with “any deal.” Congress is set to leave town Friday for a planned two-week Easter recess, but Majority Leader John Thune has warned the Senate may have to stay until DHS is funded. (NBC News / Politico / CNBC / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / ABC News)
\n4/ Minnesota sued the Trump administration to force the release of evidence in three shootings by federal officers during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, including the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. State and county officials said federal agencies blocked access to basic investigative material, leaving Minnesota unable to determine whether federal officers violated state criminal law. The suit also seeks evidence in the nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was initially charged with assaulting federal agents before prosecutors dropped the case after conflicting evidence emerged and authorities began examining whether agents lied about the incident. The suit names Attorney General Pam Bondi and outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the federal government had adopted an unprecedented policy of “categorically withholding evidence,” while Minnesota argued that the state could not let federal agents investigate themselves. (Associated Press / New York Times / Politico)
\n5/ Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2022 investigation into Kash Patel subpoenaed more than two years of his phone metadata, text logs, online account details, billing records, IP addresses, and bank account information. The subpoenas were part of Smith’s investigation into Trump’s election interference and classified documents cases. At the time, Patel defended Trump’s claim that the Mar-a-Lago documents had been declassified. Patel is now the FBI director. A magistrate judge also approved a nondisclosure order in 2022, finding disclosure could risk flight, evidence tampering, witness intimidation, and serious harm to the investigation. (Reuters)
\n6/ A Justice Department prosecutor conceded that the government didn’t have evidence of fraud or other criminal misconduct in the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project. Prosecutors argued that a $1.2 billion overrun justified scrutiny because “it doesn’t seem right,” but Justice Department lawyers “do not know at this time” what evidence there is of fraud or criminal misconduct. The Fed, meanwhile, said the rising costs reflected a long renovation of historic buildings, labor inflation, and asbestos problems. (Washignton Post)
\n7/ Trump voted by mail in a Florida special election after declaring that “mail-in voting means mail-in cheating” and “we got to do something about it all.” Palm Beach County records showed Trump’s ballot was counted in the special election, even though he had spent the weekend in Palm Beach while early in-person voting was available. The White House didn’t say why Trump chose to mail his ballot, but instead argued that the SAVE America Act allows for “common-sense exceptions,” like illness, disability, military service or travel. (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / CBS News / ABC News)
\npoll/ 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance – his lowest rating since returning to the White House. 29% approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, the lowest rating in either of his terms and lower than any Biden economic approval rating. (Reuters)
\npoll/ 49% of U.S. workers were classified as “struggling” in their lives, while 46% were classified as “thriving” — the first time Gallup found more workers struggling than thriving. 28% said it was a good time to find a quality job, down from nearly 70% in mid-2022, while employee engagement fell to 31%, the lowest reading in a decade. Even so, 51% of workers said they were either actively looking for a new job or watching for opportunities, while 43% said leaving would be too difficult or costly. (Gallup)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 224 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 959 days.
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", "summary": "The Trump administration ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy roughly 2,000 to 3,000 troops to the Middle East; the U.S. sent Iran a 15-point proposal to end the war as Trump claimed “this war has been won”; Senate Republicans proposed a plan to fund and reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security while excluding ICE’s deportation operations; Minnesota...", "date_published": "2026-03-24T16:28:50-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/23/day-1889/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/23/day-1889/", "title": "Day 1889: “Psychological warfare.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1889trump-1372c6.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: Trump delayed his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants for five days, claiming the U.S. and Iran had held “very good and productive” talks on a “complete and total” resolution of the war; Tehran, however, denied that there were any direct or indirect negotiations, calling it fake news, market manipulation, and “psychological warfare”; Trump deployed ICE officers to more than a dozen U.S. airports to help with TSA staffing shortages during the partial DHS shutdown; and the Supreme Court appears likely to limit mail-in voting in federal elections.
\n1/ Trump delayed his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants for five days, claiming the U.S. and Iran had held “very good and productive” talks on a “complete and total” resolution of the war. Tehran, however, denied that there were any direct or indirect negotiations, calling it fake news, market manipulation, and “psychological warfare.” Nevertheless, Trump said Iran “wants to settle” the war and “very much” wants a deal, and that the two sides had “major points of agreement,” including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, banning Iran from ever having a nuclear weapon, and removing its enriched uranium. Trump also suggested that any deal would amount to a “very serious form of regime change.” (NBC News / Bloomberg / NPR / Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Axios / ABC News)
\n2/ Trump deployed ICE officers to more than a dozen U.S. airports to help with TSA staffing shortages during the partial DHS shutdown. Trump said the officers were meant to ease delays, but suggested he could send the National Guard next, while airports and administration officials said ICE was not screening passengers and no arrests had been reported. The move came after more than 400 TSA officers quit and about 3,450 called out on Sunday as the partial shutdown has forced TSA workers to keep working without pay. Trump and congressional Republicans have insisted on fully funding DHS, including ICE and CBP. Democrats, however, have pushed to pay for TSA while leaving ICE and CBP unfunded, demanding new limits on ICE tactics, including clearer identification, mask restrictions, and tighter rules for forced home entries. Trump, meanwhile, said he wouldn’t support a DHS funding deal unless it also included the Republican SAVE America Act, saying Congress should “lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!!” (New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CNBC)
\n3/ The Supreme Court appears likely to limit mail-in voting in federal elections. The case could force Mississippi and at least 13 other states to stop counting ballots mailed by Election Day but received later. At issue is a Mississippi law that allows absentee ballots to be counted if they arrive within five business days after Election Day and were postmarked by then. The Republican National Committee argued that federal law requires both submission and receipt by Election Day. Justice Samuel Alito said late-counted ballots can undermine “confidence in election outcomes” and create an “appearance of fraud,” while Justice Neil Gorsuch called it “a contradiction” to say ballots must be cast by Election Day, but need only be mailed by then. But Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned whether that logic could also threaten early voting. A ruling is expected by late June. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / CNN / CNBC / Associated Press / Politico)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 225 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 960 days.
\nA federal judge ruled that the Pentagon’s policy of restricting press access violated the First Amendment. Judge Paul Friedman said the rules let the Pentagon revoke journalists’ credentials as “security risks” under vague standards and banned reporters from seeking information from military employees who were not authorized to speak publicly. (New York Times)
\nVoice of America journalists sued Trump administration officials, alleging they tried to turn the federally funded news outlet into a pro-Trump “mouthpiece.” The complaint named Kari Lake and other U.S. Agency for Global Media officials, saying they pushed for favorable coverage of Trump, censored or suppressed reporting they didn’t want aired, and pressured staff to show “loyalty” or risk losing their jobs. (NPR / New York Times)
\nThe Interior Department agreed to pay about $1 billion to abandon two planned offshore wind projects. Instead, they’ll redirect the money to U.S. oil and gas investments. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the money had been tied up in what he called “expensive, weather dependent offshore wind.” (Washington Post)
\nA far-right activist who spread conspiracy theories about voter fraud and now leads FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery claimed that he was involuntarily “teleported” to a Waffle House. Gregg Phillips made the claims on multiple podcasts. “Teleporting is no fun,” Phillips said on one podcast. “It was real.” FEMA, meanwhile, said the comments were taken out of context or reflected private, informal, and “somewhat spiritual” discussions made before his current role. (CNN / The Guardian)
\nRobert Mueller, the former FBI director who later led the special counsel investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, died Friday at 81. He spent 22 months investigating Trump’s campaign and Russia, concluding that Russia interfered in the election and that Trump’s campaign had multiple contacts with Russians, but there was “insufficient evidence” to establish a criminal conspiracy. Mueller’s office also chose not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice out of “fairness concerns,” because “a federal criminal accusation against a sitting President would place burdens on the President’s capacity to govern and potentially preempt constitutional process for addressing presidential misconduct.” However, Mueller, citing numerous legal constraints in his report, declined to exonerate Trump, writing: “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” Trump, meanwhile, responded: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” (MS Now / Reuters / Politico / Associated Press)
\nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "Trump delayed his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants for five days, claiming the U.S. and Iran had held “very good and productive” talks on a “complete and total” resolution of the war; Tehran, however, denied that there were any direct or indirect negotiations, calling it fake news, market manipulation, and “psychological warfare”; Trump deployed ICE officers to more than...", "date_published": "2026-03-23T15:45:49-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] }, { "id": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/19/day-1885/", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/03/19/day-1885/", "title": "Day 1885: “Don’t do that.”", "image": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/uploads/day1885trump-3a4d56.jpg", "content_html": "Today in one sentence: The Pentagon asked for more than $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war; Iran attacked Gulf energy sites after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field; Israel said it would stop attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field after Trump said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “don’t do that”; the Justice Department subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey as part of a “grand conspiracy” case against the former officials who investigated and prosecuted Trump; about 9% of people who had Affordable Care Act insurance in 2025 are now uninsured after the enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025; a coalition of 24 states and more than a dozen cities and counties sued the EPA over its repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding; and Trump’s hand-picked federal arts commission approved a commemorative 24-karat U.S. gold coin depicting Trump leaning on a desk with clenched fists.
\n1/ The Pentagon asked for more than $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “it takes money to kill bad guys […] for what’s being done, for what we may have to do in the future,” adding that the number “could move.” Trump said the large funding request was necessary for “vast amounts of ammunition” and “beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran.” The request hasn’t yet been formally transmitted to Congress, where it faces broad Democratic opposition and growing unease among Republicans anxious about an open-ended conflict, mounting costs and the prospect of ground troops. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it “remains to be seen” whether the package could pass, with Democrats calling it a blank check and some Republicans saying the administration still had not explained the cost, timeline or strategy. (Washington Post / Associated Press / Politico / New York Times / CNN / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / ABC News / CNBC / Axios)
\nWhat else could $200 billion buy?
\nMore than six years of rent help for millions of low-income households; roughly 23 years of federal childcare funding; about 16 years of Head Start for young children and families; fill the Pell Grant program’s projected 10-year shortfall and still leave roughly $100 billion left over; enough to fix the country’s entire bridge-repair backlog; and fund more than 60 years of programs aimed at ending veteran homelessness. (FHWA / HUD budget highlights / First Five Years Fund / CRFB / HUD vouchers)
\nTrump said “I’m not putting troops anywhere,″ but then immediately added: “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” (New York Times / Politico)
\npoll/ 65% of Americans believe Trump send troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran. 7% support sending ground troops to Iran. (Reuters)
\n2/ Iran attacked Gulf energy sites after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaging Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex and knocking out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity for 3 to 5 years. Brent crude briefly jumped above $119 a barrel before retreating, as markets priced in the risk that damage to oil fields, refineries, and export terminals could last longer than reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration, meanwhile, said it may lift sanctions on about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil already at sea to ease the market. (Washington Post / Reuters / Associated Press / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Politico / New York Times)
\n3/ Israel said it would stop attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field after Trump said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “don’t do that,” and later declared on social media that “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL.” Netanyahu confirmed the pullback, saying, “Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks,” after the Israeli strike set off Iranian retaliation against energy sites across the Gulf and sent oil prices higher. Iran, meanwhile, warned it would show “ZERO restraint” if its energy infrastructure was struck again. (Bloomberg / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Politico / New York Times)
\n4/ The Justice Department subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey as part of a “grand conspiracy” case against the former officials who investigated and prosecuted Trump. The subpoena was issued last week and seeks information about Comey’s role in the January 2017 intelligence assessment on Russian election interference. More than 130 subpoenas have been issued in the probe, including to former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page. It’s unclear what crime prosecutors believe the subpoenaed officials committed. (NBC News / Axios / CBS News / Bloomberg)
\n5/ About 9% of people who had Affordable Care Act insurance in 2025 are now uninsured after the enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025. Of those who kept ACA plans, 17% aren’t confident they can afford the premiums for the full year, and 28% switched plans, often to cheaper coverage with higher out-of-pocket costs. Average ACA premiums more than doubled for subsidized enrollees in 2026, and more than half of returning policyholders said they have cut or plan to cut basic household spending to keep coverage. (CNBC / Wall Street Journal)
\n6/ A coalition of 24 states and more than a dozen cities and counties sued the EPA over its repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding, the legal basis used to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The case aims to restore the finding and reverse the repeal of vehicle emissions limits, arguing the agency ignored settled law, Supreme Court precedent, and longstanding science on climate harm. (New York Times / Associated Press / Reuters / Los Angeles Times / The Guardian)
\n7/ Trump’s hand-picked federal arts commission approved a commemorative 24-karat U.S. gold coin depicting Trump leaning on a desk with clenched fists – a design that Trump personally approved. A separate bipartisan coin advisory panel, however, already refused to consider the proposal. (Washington Post)
\nThe 2026 midterms are in 229 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 964 days.
\n\n \nSubscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free
\nSupport today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member
", "summary": "The Pentagon asked for more than $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war; Iran attacked Gulf energy sites after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field; Israel said it would stop attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field after Trump said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “don’t do that”; the Justice Department subpoenaed former FBI Director...", "date_published": "2026-03-19T15:54:48-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Matt Kiser", "url": "https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/" } ], "tags": ["politics"] } ] }