Trump dwell updates: Elon Musk attends one other Cabinet assembly regardless of reported tensions over DOGE

President Donald Trump has threatened to unilaterally impose a 25 percent tax that Americans would have to pay on any imports from foreign countries that permit their domestic industries to make use of Venezuelan oil or gasoline starting next month in addition to any other new import taxes he will be imposing as part of a push to reverse decades of global supply chain integration and free trade efforts.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.

Unlike her husband, Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance was mostly unknown before she stepped into the limelight as the spouse of the Republican running mate last year.

Less well-known is the story of Usha Chilukuri Vance.

Donald Trump’s former lawyer is returning to New Jersey as interim U.S. attorney for the state, putting an end to her somewhat ill-defined White House role as “Counselor to the President.”

The current interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, John Giordano, whom she is to replace, is being made Ambassador to Namibia.

The Columbia River, running between the U.S. and its northern neighbor, could be about to find itself the new frontline in the dispute between the two countries, as Trump continues to insist Canada would make an ideal 51st state.

Katie Hawkinson has the story.

President Donald Trump is threatening more tariffs on countries that buy oil and gas from Venezuela.

He wrote on Truth Social:

President Donald J. Trump announced today that the United States of America will be putting what is known as a Secondary Tariff on the Country of Venezuela, for numerous reasons, including the fact that Venezuela has purposefully and deceitfully sent to the United States, undercover, tens of thousands of high level, and other, criminals, many of whom are murderers and people of a very violent nature. Among the gangs they sent to the United States, is Tren de Aragua, which has been given the designation of “Foreign Terrorist Organization.” We are in the process of returning them to Venezuela — It is a big task! In addition, Venezuela has been very hostile to the United States and the Freedoms which we espouse. Therefore, any Country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country. All documentation will be signed and registered, and the Tariff will take place on April 2nd, 2025, LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA. Please let this notification serve to represent that the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and all other Law Enforcement Agencies within our Country have been so notified. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

The Supreme Court is rejecting a challenge from Trump megadonor Steve Wynn in his attempt to overturn the landmark press protections in New York Times v Sullivan.

Wynn sued the Associated Press for its reporting on allegations of sexual misconduct filed with police in the 1970s. In his push to the Supreme Court, he argued: “Sullivan is not equipped to handle the world as it is today — media is no longer controlled by companies that employ legions of factcheckers before publishing an article. Instead, everyone in the world has the ability to publish any statement with a few keystrokes. And in this age of clickbait journalism, even those members of the legacy media have resorted to libelous headlines and false reports to generate views.”

Opposition lawmakers have reportedly grown fearful about the future of their party and the midterm elections as they confront frustrated constituents who are angry at what they perceive as Democrats’ lack of action against Donald Trump and his administration.

Across the country, Democratic voters have expressed deep irritation with their leaders from protesting at town halls to leaving angry voicemails with their offices.

Illinois Representative Sean Casten was grilled by constituents during a town hall about standing up to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who joined Republicans in passing a temporary funding bill.

One voter asked Casten if he was “prepared for violence” because “nice and civility doesn’t work.”

Meanwhile, progressives Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have drawn big crowds on their western anti-oligarchy speaking tour, suggesting a real appetite for change.

Here’s more from Ariana Baio.

Judge Boasberg is predictably rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to toss the deportation case:

The Court need not resolve the thorny question of whether the judiciary has the authority to assess this claim in the first place. That is because Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on another equally fundamental theory: before they may be deported, they are entitled to individualized hearings to determine whether the Act applies to them at all. As the Government itself concedes, the awesome power granted by the Act may be brought to bear only on those who are, in fact, “alien enemies.” And the Supreme Court and this Circuit have long maintained that federal courts are equipped to adjudicate that question when individuals threatened with detention and removal challenge their designation as such. Because the named Plaintiffs dispute that they are members of Tren de Aragua, they may not be deported until a court has been able to decide the merits of their challenge. Nor may any members of the provisionally certified class be removed until they have been given the opportunity to challenge their designations as well.

A three-judge panel at an appeals court in Washington, D.C. today will hear Trump’s challenge to a court order blocking the administration from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

Judge James Boasberg had issued a temporary injunction blocking those removals, yet three flights from the United States were already on their way to El Salvador when his rulings were delivered verbally and in a written filing. The planes did not turn around when the rulings came down, prompting the judge to question whether Trump officials intentionally defied his orders.

Trump and his allies have since threatened to impeach Boasberg, prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public statement to say that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision” and that a “normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

Boasberg has also ordered the administration to respond to several questions about the flights, as tension between Trump and the judiciary reaches a boiling point.

By tomorrow, administration officials must submit a declaration to the judge on whether they intend to raise a “state secrets” privilege to avoid answering his questions, citing national security concerns.

Last week, Judge Boasberg heard more in-court arguments from Trump attorneys and grilled them about his orders.

“Why was this proclamation essentially signed in the dark on Friday or Friday night or early Saturday morning and people rushed onto planes?” Boasberg asked. “Seems to me the only reason to do that is if you know it’s a problem and you want to get them out of the country before a suit’s filed.”

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