Trump & Co Watch June 2026
Trump doubles down on feud with Italian Prime Minister Meloni, insisting she asked for G7 photo (LINK) — 20 June 2026
Italy's Meloni says Trump 'made up' story that she 'begged' him for photo at G7 (LINK) — 20 June 2026
Italian foreign minister cancels trip to US over Trump's comments about Meloni: headline — (LINK)
US: Bethesda man and former olympian arrested for taking paint from newly refurbished Reflecting Pool in Washington's National Mall (LINK) — 20 June 2026
— For days, D.C. residents and tourists have been spotted pulling chunks and large strips of paint from the iconic Reflecting Pool. Just weeks after the pool reopened sporting $13 million in renovations under President Trump, algae blooms expanded rapidly. This week, large chunks and strips of paint began appearing on the surface of the shallow water.
Trump says vandals used chemicals to damage newly renovated reflecting pool (LINK) — 19 June 2026
Trump's reflecting pool nightmare takes another turn, as the algae controversy leads to an even more embarrassing discovery: videos of blue paint strips peeling off the bottom — "hydrogen peroxide is a paint remover" (LINK) — 19 June 2026
Kennedy Center refuses to take tarps off where Trump's name was removed (LINK) — 19 June 2026
Elon Musk: what it means to be a trillionaire — and his character (LINK) — 19 June 2026
SpaceX stock has officially fallen down to the low $170s from the $220s, down over 20 percent over its all-time high on Tuesday (LINK) — 19 June 2026
US judge orders release of Palestinian rights advocate/mosque leader, 53, who has lived in the US for nearly 32 years, detained by ICE (LINK) — 18 June 2026
— He has no criminal record in the US, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called him a "criminal and a terrorist". It accused him of lying on his green card application and failing to disclose that he was convicted by an Israeli military court for allegedly throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces. US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ruled that the man had raised a "substantial" claim that he was targeted for speech protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. That, in turn, could "render his detention unlawful".
Newsweek: Obama Presidential Library compared to plans for Donald Trump's: Barack Obama's presidential library is the most expensive in U.S. history. Trump's is estimated to cost even more (LINK) — 18 June 2026
RFK Jr. announces $700M investment in addiction services, emphasizing faith-based organizations (LINK) — 17 June 2026
US: Georgia Republican legislative leaders reject governor's call for 2028 redistricting (LINK) — 17 June 2026
— CNN: The decision marked a setback for both Kemp and President Donald Trump, who has urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to their advantage. Ten states already have enacted new congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections. Georgia would have been the first to change districts for the 2028 elections.
US: FBI director Kash Patel accused of directing $1m to 'slush fund' to pay bonuses to loyalist agents (LINK) — 17 June 2026
All detainees from immigration facility 'Alligator Alcatraz' have been transferred, DHS says, citing concerns related to the hurricane season (LINK) — 17 June 2026
FBI foiled alleged plot targeting Trump's UFC event on Sunday, FBI Director Patel says: multiple people are in custody (LINK) — 16 June 2026
Daily Kos: FBI affidavit makes rather clear that the people behind the planned drone attack on the UFC event were not leftists. Rather, they were ultra-right Christians with Nazi and fascist leanings who viewed the Trump Administration as a continuation of corrupt regimes (LINK) — 16 June 2026
Trump projects confidence about Iran deal as he meets global leaders for G7 summit (LINK) — 15 June 2026
Trump, Vance, Iranian official sign US-Iran peace memo on Sunday: the details of the memorandum will be released in 24 to 48 hours, officials said (LINK) — 15 June 2026
Heather Cox Richardson: President Donald J. Trump's remaking of Washington, D.C. (LINK) — 15 June 2026
Let him eat cake! Birthday greetings for President Trump as he turns 80 — from Greta Thunberg, Piers Morgan and more (LINK) — 14 June 2026
— Greta Thunberg: "I will [...] give you a can of alphabet soup; the sentences you poop out will be more coherent than anything you have ever said."
'A fool and his money are soon parted': Barron Trump-backed beverage company is charging $39 for a 12-pack (LINK) — 14 June 2026
Google is paying $920 million per month to SpaceX but Nvidia is the quiet winner: most AI roads still run through Nvidia (LINK) — 14 June 2026
Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center (LINK) — 13 June 2026
Woman's hypothermia death after being released by ICE is ruled a homicide (LINK) — 13 June 2026
'This might be the point of no return': Experts on the current US measles outbreak (LINK) — 13 June 2026
'Have you ever been around someone you just know is evil?' Melinda French Gates on meeting Jeffrey Epstein, giving away billions, and her post-divorce peace (LINK) — 13 June 2026
Melinda Gates tells interviewer 'Epstein could have been stopped' days after her ex testified to Congressional panel — (LINK)
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) received its first major bearish call from Wall Street after CFRA initiated coverage of the aerospace giant with a 'Sell' rating and a $115 price target (LINK) — 13 June 2026
Judge extends block on Trump's $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' indefinitely (LINK) — 12 June 2026
US appeals court denies last-minute request to block removal of Trump's name from Kennedy Center (LINK) — 12 June 2026
Trump says U.S. killed Tren de Aragua gang leader in airstrike in Venezuela (LINK) — 12 June 2026
Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire as SpaceX soars in stock market debut (LINK) — 12 June 2026
Trump Administration plans deportation flight to Central African Republic for Iranians, Syrians, and Afghans (LINK) — 12 June 2026
Brazil reports drop in Amazon deforestation rates, pushing back on US tariff accusations (LINK) — 11 June 2026
Futurism: Trump moves could deeply censor the entire Internet (LINK) — 10 June 2026
Trump family scores massive payday as company falls apart (LINK) — 10 June 2026
— Daily Beast: ALT5 Sigma, now known as AI Financial Corp., teamed up with the Trump family's World Liberty Financial last August in a deal that the president's sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, celebrated with cheery photos at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York. Under the deal, ALT5 acquired $1.5 billion in crypto tokens from World Liberty Financial. In turn, President Donald Trump and undisclosed members of his family were entitled to a staggering $500 million in proceeds from the sale, according to WLF disclosures first reported by CNBC. Now, according to CNBC, AI Financial Corp faces delisting from Nasdaq in the next two weeks if it cannot raise its price [which represents] a loss of more than 90 percent.
US President Donald Trump has named Jay Clayton, the top federal prosecutor in New York, to be the nation's most senior spy chief, after lawmakers in Congress objected to his previous choice due to lack of relevant experience: Outgoing Director Tulsi Gabbard's last day is 30 June (LINK) — 10 June 2026
UN rights chief urges 'massive rethink' of US immigration policies ahead of World Cup (LINK) — 10 June 2026
Reports show Trump family cashing in big on World Soccer Cup, WH UFC event (LINK) — 9 June 2026
Trump family reportedly made about $2.3 billion on crypto while investors lost about $2.3 billion on Trump-related crypto (LINK) — 9 June 2026
Politico: The White House is digging in on tariff refunds: the administration has processed more than half the $166 billion it illegally collected but is resisting paying back billions more (LINK) — 9 June 2026
US: House passes pro-union bill after 20 Republicans defy party, in latest move to bypass GOP leadership (LINK) — 9 June 2026
US: Far-right influencer Jake Lang, pardoned for Jan. 6 Capitol riot, arrested in Texas on charge of making terroristic threats (LINK) — 9 June 2026
Senate panel approves Department of War name change: could become law this year (LINK) — 9 June 2026
Trump denies he was booed at MSG Knicks game (LINK) — 9 June 2026
BuzzFeed: Donald Trump got absolutely destroyed by boos at the Knicks game: videos — (LINK)
FBI fires analysts who worked on "Richmond memo" about Catholic extremist ideology, sources say (LINK) — 6 June 2026
Case filed with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights against Equatorial Guinea for sending US deportees to third nations where they face persecution (LINK) — 5 June 2026
More than half of 15 Latin Americans deported from US to Congo are now back in their countries of origin, says DRC: U.S. immigration judges have ruled they were likely to face persecution at home (LINK) — 5 June 2026
DOJ confirms in court papers the "anti-weaponization fund" isn't going forward, asks judges to reject lawsuits (LINK) — 5 June 2026
Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fund (LINK) — 5 June 2026
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Sherrill pumps $20m of taxpayer money to fight deportations (LINK) — 5 June 2026
Judge halts Trump administration efforts to impose conditions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (LINK) — 5 June 2026
US imposes sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife, son, and other key individuals, in latest move to pressure leadership (LINK) — 4 June 2026
Kushner-backed Albania resort sparks protests, EU concerns (LINK) — 4 June 2026
Senate Republicans narrowly block bid to bar Trump's $1.8bn fund to pay allies: 3 GOP senators join Democrats as dispute over proposed payouts exposes party divisions (LINK) — 4 June 2026
Trump suffers rare House defeat as bipartisan vote moves to withdraw troops from Iran conflict. The measure now heads to the Senate but is not subject to Trump's approval (LINK) — 3 June 2026
FactCheck.org: Trump exaggerates the impact of reducing fraud in federal programmes (LINK) — 3 June 2026
— In a May 27 Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump claimed that a task force headed by Vice President JD Vance, is "finding billions and billions and billions of dollars. And if he does really great we'll have a balanced budget without having to do anything." Later he said, "And I think we have a chance to save Social Security without doing anything to it, by just the numbers of fraudulent people on Social Security — people that are 115 years old, 125 years old, getting payments."
— There shouldn't be any such payments to anyone 115 or 125 years old because, since September 2015, the Social Security database has been set to automatically terminate benefits to individuals listed as 115 or older. And the most recent federal budget deficit was about 240% more than the highest federal estimate of annual spending due to fraud.
Pete Hegseth removes all women and some Black service members from navy promotion list (LINK) — 3 June 2026
President Trump says he will nominate his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general (LINK) — 3 June 2026
'60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley fired after confrontation with new boss (LINK) — 3 June 2026
— Nick Bilton, the show's new top producer, said Pelley "hijacked" a staff meeting to disparage him.
Scott Pelley on CBS after '60 Minutes' firing: show has "lost its DNA" and the "new owner of our network is casting this legend aside" due to politics (LINK) — 3 June 2026
Trump's financial ties face scrutiny after moves benefiting allies and family (LINK) — 2 June 2026
Pentagon bars journalists from its press office, saying it has become a 'classified space' (LINK) — 2 June 2026
US: Supreme Court allows Alabama to use House map eliminating a majority-Black district (LINK) — 2 June 2026
— A federal court had repeatedly blocked the map as an illegal racial gerrymander.
'60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley fired after confrontation with new boss (LINK) — 3 June 2026
— Nick Bilton, the show's new top producer, said Pelley "hijacked" a staff meeting to disparage him.
Rubio says U.S. wants to end Russian oil waivers "as soon as possible" (LINK) — 2 June 2026
Trump administration signals to GOP congressional leaders it will drop $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund (LINK) — 1 June 2026
— CNN: President Donald Trump has not committed publicly to terminating the controversial pot of money, and a third source familiar with the discussions indicated the administration was merely pausing efforts to pursue the fund — not dropping those plans altogether.
Federal court rules Trump illegally banned trans people from the military: three-judge panel ruled that the policy isn't about a medical condition, but about excluding people for not having the "correct" gender identity (LINK) — 1 June 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel's girlfriend sues MS NOW: alleges that a report falsely asserted that she demanded, and Patel ordered, agents to escort an intoxicated friend home (LINK) — 29 May 2026