2 months ago
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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A court filing revealed that a Trump administration official from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is overseeing the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).
👥 Who’s Involved: Nate Cavanaugh, an official of the Department of Government Efficiency, alongside board members from the U.S. Institute of Peace.
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📍 Where & When: The developments were filed in federal court, with a status hearing conducted on Tuesday.
💬 Key Quote: “The deal is no longer merely ‘proposed’ but done, rendering plaintiffs’ requested relief moot as to that property,” said Judge Beryl Howell.
⚠️ Impact: The property of the U.S. Institute of Peace is in the process of being transferred to the General Services Administration, a move which could conclude despite judicial intervention efforts.
IN FULL:
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) official Nate Cavanaugh has been appointed to replace the U.S. Institute of Peace’s temporary president, according to a recent court filing. The appointment, authorized by two of the institute’s board members, was revealed during a status hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell on Tuesday.
Established by Congress in 1984, the U.S. Institute of Peace has operated as a quasi-non-governmental organization (NGO) for decades—despite it ostensibly falling under the authority of the federal government’s executive branch. In February, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order mandating the institute downsize its activities to a “statutory minimum.” However, the organization’s far-left leadership dismissed the order, arguing that the institute is a congressionally chartered NGO and not technically part of the executive branch.
The rejection of Trump’s executive order resulted in the institute’s leadership and staff being removed by police last month, with the Trump White House appointing an acting president to oversee its operations. In response to President Trump’s actions, the former leadership of the U.S. Institute of Peace filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming the Trump administration had engaged in an illegal attempt to seize control of the institute. The filing asked Judge Howell to halt the reorganization in order to stop what they allege is a “takeover by force.”
Despite the litigation, Cavanaugh has begun transferring the institute’s property to the General Services Administration (GSA), the government agency that oversees federal contracts and assets. Notably, the GSA has already terminated several federal leases at the urging of DOGE.
Tuesday’s status hearing regarding the request to halt the institute’s reorganization lasted for several hours. Judge Howell eventually ruled that the former leadership’s claims to the institute’s property were moot. “The deal is no longer merely ‘proposed’ but done, rendering plaintiffs’ requested relief moot as to that property,” the judge determined.
President Donald J. Trump has announced a series of new tariff rates at his administration’s “Liberation Day” event at the White House Rose Garden, including the imposition of a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all foreign imports. In addition to the 10 percent blanket tariff, Trump is set to impose a series of targeted trade levies on imports from 60 nations—with the tariff rate often being set at half that which the targeted country places on American exports as an act of generosity.
“My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. April 2nd, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to Make America Wealthy Again,” Trump said. “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike. American steelworkers, autoworkers, farmers, and skilled craftsmen—we have a lot of them here today—they really suffered gravely; they watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs; foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream.”
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The America First leader went on to note: “We’re also standing up for our great farmers and ranchers who are brutalized by nations all over the world. Canada imposes a 250-300 percent tariff on many of our dairy products.”
Among the countries and regions facing additional tariffs above the 10 percent blanket rate are China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, India, the European Union, South Africa, and South Korea. Notably, Chinese imports will be hit with a tariff rate of 34 percent and Indian goods will be tariffed at 26 percent.
Notably, Brexit has spared the United Kingdom, which faces only the base rate of 10 percent, from the 20 percent tariff imposed on the European Union.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2025
Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.
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President Donald J. Trump has announced a series of new tariff rates at his administration's "Liberation Day" event at the White House Rose Garden, including the imposition of a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all foreign imports. In addition to the 10 percent blanket tariff, Trump is set to impose a series of targeted trade levies on imports from 60 nations—with the tariff rate often being set at half that which the targeted country places on American exports as an act of generosity. show more
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: New polling shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a prominent America First conservative, soundly defeating Senator John Cornyn, a “moderate” who opposed President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 candidacy, in a GOP Senate primary race.
👥 Who’s Involved: Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, pollsters Fabrizio, Lee & Associates.
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📍 Where & When: Polling was conducted from January 28 to February 2 among 600 likely Texas primary voters.
💬 Key Quote: “John Cornyn has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about.” — Ken Paxton.
⚠️ Impact: Cornyn’s ouster would strengthen the America First movement in the Senate, where establishment Republicans such as the outgoing Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski still hold significant sway.
IN FULL:
A recent poll by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has strong support among GOP primary voters, signaling his potential to oust incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a future U.S. Senate race. An initial ballot had Paxton leading Cornyn 53 percent to 28 percent, while a second “informed ballot,” after respondents had been given more information about the pair, increased the margin to 70 percent against just 14 percent.
Paxton, a MAGA stalwart who describes Cornyn as a representative of “the Bush wing of the GOP,” has gained favor with grassroots Texas Republicans for his aggressive lawsuits challenging Biden government policies on immigration and election integrity.
Cornyn, a Senator since 2002, portrays himself as a so-called “moderate” who supports President Donald J. Trump. However, critics—including Paxton—argue he is a Republican in name only, or RINO, who initially opposed the America First leader’s efforts to regain the White House and refused to challenge the lawfare prosections leveled against him by the Biden Justice Department and state Democrats. Previously, he has opposed President Trump’s border wall, and he is currently counter-signaling his tariff policies.
D.C. scuttlebutt: One-time Trump campaign chief Chris LaCivita is going (back) to work for routine Trump-basher John Cornyn?
You can't have it both ways, Chris.
Either you're running the RNC and the "outside political operation" for @realDonaldTrump, or you're backing his…
— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) March 5, 2025
“John Cornyn condemned the House GOP for investigating Soros-backed DA Alvin Bragg’s political persecution of President Trump,” Paxton said in March, arguing the incumbent “was always desperate for the bogus witch hunt to succeed.”
He went further in early 2024, describing Cornyn as a Republican who “has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about.”
Angela Paxton, Ken’s wife and a Texas state senator since 2018, is a key political ally of her husband in the Lone Star state, often energizing his base with her public appearances and evangelical ties through their founding of Stonebriar Community Church.
🚨 BREAKING: New Poll shows Ken Paxton would DEMOLISH John Cornyn in a primary for U.S. Senate in Texas:
Initial Ballot:
Paxton 53%
Cornyn 28%
Informed Ballot
Paxton 70%
Cornyn 14%
Source: Frabrizio, Lee and Associates
1/28/25-2/2/2026
N=600 Texas GOP Likely Primary Voters pic.twitter.com/Rr5wwZVRej
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 2, 2025
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