Today’s recap
The Trump administration had a busy end of the week. The White House unveiled its budget blueprint, which shows massive cuts to social programs and an increase of spending on defense. Donald Trump also signed an executive order to pull funding from NPR and PBS; NPR has since indicated that it may sue the administration over the order. The president additionally asked the supreme court to grant Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) access to the Social Security Administration’s database. This came after a federal judge had previously ruled to restrict access.
Trump also lost a couple of battles on Friday. A federal judge ruled the president’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie was unconstitutional; and the Trump administration settled a lawsuit with Maine over transgender rights.
Here’s what else happened today:
The Trump administration has plans to eliminate 1,200 positions at the CIA in a major downsize for the agency. The move is not related to any cuts imposed by Doge.
The state department has designated two gangs in Haiti as foreign terrorist organizations and warned that any individuals supporting the groups could face removal from the US. The administration is also exploring whether it can label some suspected cartel and gang members inside the US as “enemy combatants”.
Speculation over who will take over Mike Waltz’ national security adviser role has grown, with reports that Stephen Miller is gathering momentum or that Marco Rubio may hold the job permanently.
Wisconsin’s governor Tony Evers spoke out saying every American should be concerned about “chilling” suggestions from Trump’s top border adviser that he could be arrested.
A mother deported to Cuba reportedly had to hand over her 17-month-old daughter to a lawyer while her husband, a US citizen, stood outside unable to say goodbye.
Washington lawyer Abbe Lowell, who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges, created a new law firm to represent former government officials targeted by the Trump administration.
Trump said the US economy is in a “transition stage”, citing strong employment and his tariff plan. This followed the release of data that showed US job growth marginally slowed in April.
Trump said again he would be “taking away” Harvard’s tax-exempt status as a non-profit in a legally questionable move that escalates his ongoing feud with the elite university.
Canada’s newly elected prime minister, Mark Carney, confirmed he will be meeting with Trump at the White House next week.
Trump said he plans to rename 11 November – Veterans Day – as “Victory Day for World War I”. Several veterans groups decried the announcement.
Trump will host a military parade to commemorate the US Army’s 250th birthday. The date, 14 June, coincides with his 79th birthday.
US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully rejected what she called “relentless attacks” on the federal judiciary.
Trump administration agrees to halt funding freeze for Maine schools over transgender rights
The state of Maine has notched a win in its battle over whether trans girls can participate in girls’ sports. The state reached a settlement on Friday with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which had previously said it would withhold funds for a child nutrition program if transgender youth continued in sports.
“It’s good to feel a victory like this,” Janet Mills, Maine’s governor, said at a press conference, the Portland Press Herald reported. “I stood in the White House and when confronted by the president of the United States, I told him I’d see him in court. Well, we did see him in court, and we won.”
Mills and Donald Trump had a public tit-for-tat at a White House meeting with governors in February. It came after the USDA had suspended funding from Maine. The state then sued the agency to maintain its funding.
Under Friday’s settlement agreement, USDA funding will be restored in Maine in exchange for the state dropping its lawsuit.
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