Signal-gate, Stefanik stays in House, mass deportations, law firms under pressure & more
On March 24, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth texted the editor of The Atlantic key details of the U.S. plan to bomb Houthi targets across Yemen — including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, by unintentionally including him on a group chat on the encrypted messaging app, Signal. Even GOP lawmakers were horrified and leaders in the House and Senate called for investigation and possible disciplinary action. On March 27, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to preserve all Signal communications over the span of several days as a lawsuit proceeds following revelations of the security breach. GOP lawmakers warned the administration that they must comply according to the Federal Records Act. The irony did not escape Hillary Clinton.
In a 7-2 decision on 3/26, SCOTUS upheld Biden’s ghost guns crackdown, rejecting a challenge by gun rights groups and manufacturers. This is a definite sign that SCOTUS will not always split on ideological grounds.
Federal District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to temporarily stop deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies act, as they had been doing with purported members of a Venezuelan gang, without a hearing. An appeals court affirmed Boasberg’s order.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday his department is planning to reduce its workforce by 10,000 people through restructuring as part of the Trump administration’s aim to cut costs.
Meanwhile, two Federal Trade Commission (FTC) members fired by President Trump sued him Thursday, setting up another major test of his administration’s expansionist view of presidential authority over independent agencies.
In a stunning announcement, the White House has informed the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that it is withdrawing Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Trump cited the slim majority in the House and the uncertainty of the timing and outcome of a special election to replace Stefanik should she resign.
Despite judicial orders telling the Administration not to use the Alien Enemies Act, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that at least 300 foreign students have seen their visas revoked due to pro-Palestinian comments or activities. The Department of Justice has asked SCOTUS to intervene.
After making himself head of the Kennedy Center for the Arts, Trump is now trying to control what is displayed at Smithsonian museums and federal sites, citing “divisive narratives” promoted by some.
The Office of Personnel Management said on March 27 that President Trump signed an executive order limiting numerous agency employees from unionizing and instructing the government to stop engaging in any collective bargaining.
Among the most cringeworthy of actions, Trump has been targeting law firms that were involved in litigation against him, instructing federal employees not to communicate with them and barring the firms from federal buildings, crippling much of their business. The reactions have been varied. For example, Jenner & Block sued the Administration on March 28, calling the president’s executive order targeting the firm an “unconstitutional abuse of power.” On the other hand, on the same day, Trump announced that Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom agreed to provide at least $100 million in pro bono legal services “during the Trump administration and beyond” in exchange for not having an executive order targeted against them. It was announced last week that the major law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison agreed to provide $40 million in pro bono work on causes backed by the administration and to hire an outside expert to audit its hiring and employment practices. Trump then agreed to lift an executive order that would have taken away security clearances from the law firm’s staff.