Global Geneva: NuseReal: Trump watch

Trump & Co Watch April 2026

Politico: Trump weighs more Cabinet changes after Bondi ouster — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration and disappointment with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Trump told Bondi on way to SCOTUS hearing: "I think it's time." She asked Trump to keep her in post until the summer. He refused — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

White House seeks massive increase in defence spending to $1.5 trillion, more than 40% compared to last year, and looks to slash housing, social services and health care — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— CNN: Of the $445 billion that the administration wants to add to the defense budget, the White House is proposing that $350 billion of it be passed as part of forthcoming legislation that Republicans are planning to pass using a maneuver that requires only a majority vote in the Senate — and therefore would not need Democratic support.

— The budget proposal, by contrast, seeks to slash nondefense spending by 10% — a $73 billion cut that would primarily affect housing, social services, health care and other domestic programs that the administration has derided as "woke" — a word that is mentioned 34 times in the 92-page document. Trump's budget proposes cutting the Environmental Protection Agency's funding in half, eliminating a wide array of environmental programmes.

U.S. payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, more than expected; unemployment at 4.3% — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— CNBC: Though the unemployment rate posted a decline, the move largely came from a decline of 396,000 in the labour force. The share of working-age Americans in the labor force fell to 61.9%, its lowest since November 2021. With inflation well above the Fed's target and energy prices surging as the Iran war continues, markets expect little movement from the central bank this year.

US: Judge stands by his decision to quash Department of Justice subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Elon Musk insists banks working on SpaceX IPO must buy Grok subscriptions — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump removes US Attorney General Pam Bondi: will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— Bondi said she would be "working tirelessly" to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had "been the honour" of a lifetime. She added that in her new private sector position — which she did not identify — she would "continue fighting for President Trump and this administration" Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be "transitioning" to a role in the private sector. As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: "She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job." But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be "announced at a date in the near future".

US Defence Secretary Hegseth tells US Army chief to step down immediately without giving a reason for the departure — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— He has held the post, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden administration. CBS quoted a source as saying Hegseth wanted someone who would implement his and President Donald Trump's vision for the Army.

Politico: Pam Bondi fails Trump's loyalty test — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

US trade deficit jumped by almost 5% in February, another zigzag in the year since Trump's 'Liberation Day' — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— The US trade deficit remains roughly the same today as it was on April 2, 2025, when Trump delivered his "Liberation Day" address and signed an executive order that name-checked the trade deficit in its title. The increase in February's deficit was a result of import increases, which jumped by 4.3% to $372.1 billion. That outpaced gains in exports, which increased by a smaller 4.2% to $314.8 billion. Thursday's data also included a country-by-country breakdown and showed continued multibillion-dollar trade deficits with many nations, including Mexico ($16.8 billion), Vietnam ($16.5 billion), China ($13.1 billion), and others.

Colorado court throws out election denier Tina Peters' 9-year sentence for tampering with election equipment, finding that the lower court violated her First Amendment right to free speech related to her allegations of election fraud. The state appeals court is asking the trial court to resentence Peters — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

ICE arrest Palestinian advocate Salah Sarsour, the president of Islamic Society of Milwaukee, reportedly detained by 10 agents while driving on March 30 — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump's primetime speech on Iran war: Key takeaways: US president says Washington is 'getting very close' to achieving goals as he promises to bomb Iran into 'Stone Ages'. — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump says he's considering leaving NATO as Starmer says UK will host talks on Strait of Hormuz — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Heather Cox Richardson: President Donald J. Trump attended oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court on birthright citizenship: for the first time in U.S. history, a sitting president attended such arguments at the United States Supreme Court — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

— The case argued before the court grew out of Trump's executive order of January 20, 2025, the day he took the oath of office a second time. Fulfilling a campaign promise, the order declared that, contrary to the Fourteenth Amendment, individuals born in the United States are not citizens if their parents do not have legal permanent status.

Trump drops blatantly false outburst after storming out of Supreme Court hearing: "We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow 'Birthright' Citizenship!" — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

— rawstory: Despite Trump's claim, birthright citizenship exists in dozens of countries, including the United States' neighbors Canada and Mexico. In the United States, birthright citizenship was enshrined as a right in 1868 through the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

NuseReal