Donald Trump launched yet another attack on the media, threatening to sue those that use anonymous sourcing or off-the-record quotes, from people he claims do not exist. The president suggested he would even create “some NICE NEW LAW!!!”
The Trump administration’s first cabinet meeting will take place at 11 a.m. today and will include Elon Musk, who is not a cabinet member. Over the weekend, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caused chaos by emailing all federal workers, asking them to justify their jobs or risk losing them.
Many agency heads instructed their staff to ignore the email. Seemingly to make sure everyone was on the same page ahead of the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON. The Media will see that at the Cabinet Meeting this morning!!!”
The president has also invited controversy by posting a bizarre AI video on Truth Social imagining post-war Gaza as a dystopian luxury beach resort, the clip featuring Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gold statues and raining cash.
Donald Trump has announced a plan to sell American citizenship to “high-level” wealthy foreigners who create U.S. jobs via $5m “gold cards”, quipping that Russian oligarchs would use the program.
White House now claiming ‘everybody knew’ who DOGE administrator was — despite first refusing to say…
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked this morning about the sudden announcement yesterday that Amy Gleason is the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency and why they hadn’t said so sooner.
The government was literally taken to court for failing to identify who was leading DOGE.
Here’s Alex Woodward’s report:
Oliver O’Connell26 February 2025 15:09
Pastor with ties to Pete Hegseth claimed slavery promoted ‘affection between the races’ in the south
Doug Wilson, founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), wrote in his 1996 book Southern Slavery: As It Was, that there had “never been a multi-racial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world.”
Pete Hegseth’s church, Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship outside Nashville, Tennessee, is reportedly a member of CREC, which has congregations in nearly all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Joe Sommerlad26 February 2025 15:00
White House says Cabinet secretaries take direction from DOGE
Speaking to reporters this morning about Elon Musk’s attendance at the first Cabinet meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Elon is working with the Cabinet secretaries and their staff every single day to identify waste, fraud, and abuse at these respective agencies.”
She added: “All of the Cabinet secretaries take the advice and direction of DOGE.”
Oliver O’Connell26 February 2025 14:54
Senate Judiciary committee to hear from two controversial Trump picks
There are confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee for John Sauer and Harmeet Dhillon today.
Sauer, Trump’s pick for solicitor general, argued for his immunity in front of appeals court judges and the Supreme Court. He notably did not deny that the kind of immunity he demanded included a shield of criminal liability for a president who orders the assassination of his rivals.
Dhillon, Trump’s pick for assistant attorney general for civil rights, is an election conspiracy theorist whose firm backed attention-grabbing lawsuits on behalf of right-wing activists against gender-affirming care, as well as school policies and state and local laws designed to protect LGBT+ people.
Alex Woodward26 February 2025 14:47
Trump threatens writers who use anonymous sourcing with legal action and possible new laws
Donald Trump has threatened to sue writers who use anonymous sources or off-the-record quotes in books and in the media in general, claiming they are made up and the people often do not exist.
The president even suggested creating a “NICE NEW LAW” to stop the practice, which would likely immediately run into First Amendment court challenges.
Here’s what he wrote on Truth Social this morning:
As a President who is being given credit for having the Best Opening Month of any President in history, quite naturally, here come the Fake books and stories with the so-called “anonymous,” or “off the record,” quotes. At some point I am going to sue some of these dishonest authors and book publishers, or even media in general, to find out whether or not these “anonymous sources” even exist, which they largely do not. They are made up, defamatory fiction, and a big price should be paid for this blatant dishonesty. I’ll do it as a service to our Country. Who knows, maybe we will create some NICE NEW LAW!!!
Oliver O’Connell26 February 2025 14:38
Kash Patel privately agreed to hire an experienced deputy FBI director. Then Trump picked a loyalist
The new FBI Director reportedly privately agreed with an FBI agent advocacy group to install an active special agent to serve as deputy director – only to then have Trump choose an inexperienced and controversial loyalist instead.
Joe Sommerlad26 February 2025 14:30
Trump insists all cabinet members are ‘EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON’
As Donald Trump prepares to hold his first cabinet meeting today, with Elon Musk, a non-cabinet member, in attendance, the president wants to ensure everyone is on message.
This follows the chaos and confusion caused by Musk’s email to federal workers over the weekend, which many agency heads had to tell their staff to ignore.
Here’s what Trump wrote on Truth Social a few moments ago:
Oliver O’Connell26 February 2025 14:13
Trump says Ukraine started the war with Russia. His top man in the Senate disagrees
Here’s Eric Garcia on John Thune and his disagreement with the U.S. decision to vote against the United Nations resolution on the war in Ukraine earlier this week, a position that puts him at odds with the president’s recent comments on the conflict.
Joe Sommerlad26 February 2025 14:10
Who is Amy Gleason, the person named DOGE’s acting leader by the White House?
The acting administrator of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, reluctantly named by the White House yesterday, turns out to be a low-profile executive who has a background in healthcare technology and worked in the first Trump administration.
Here’s what we know about her.
Joe Sommerlad26 February 2025 13:50
Trump cheers Johnson’s budget proposal
He’s still at it, this time applauding the speaker for last night’s events in the House.
Joe Sommerlad26 February 2025 13:40