Key events
Closing summary
This concludes our live coverage of US politics in the second Trump administration for the day. We’ll be back on Friday. Here are the latest developments:
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The Senate again failed to advance a bill to fund part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has now been shut down for almost six weeks. By a vote of 53-47, mostly along party lines, the upper chamber fell short of the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward – the seventh failed attempt. More here.
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President Trump announced he would sign an executive order directing the secretary of homeland security (DHS) to grant immediate payments to 50,000 airport security officers amid the DHS shutdown. “I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do!,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports.” More here.
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US markets saw their biggest slump since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran on Thursday as Donald Trump said the conflict’s impact on oil prices had not been as bad as he expected. The Dow closed 450 points down, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.3%, plunging into correction territory, which happens when an index falls at least 10% below its most recent peak. More here.
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The department of treasury announced that US paper currency will soon feature President Donald Trump’s signature to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. The move marks the first time a sitting US president’s signature will appear on legal tender. To accommodate this change, the treasurer’s signature will be removed for the first time since 1861. More here.
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The Senate failed to achieve 60 votes needed to pass an amendment to the Save America act that would require voters to present photo ID to cast a ballot. The chamber voted 52-47, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. No Democrats voted for it. Earlier today, Trump urged Republicans to terminate the Senate filibuster.
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During a cabinet meeting today, Donald Trump said that Iran was letting 10 oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in the supposed negotiations. He also repeated his earlier remarks that Iran is “begging to make a deal”.
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Donald Trump wants to renovate the White House’s treaty room, traditionally a meeting space for diplomats and statesman, into a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom, according to the New York Times.
Shrai Popat
Graham Platner, the Democratic frontrunner in Maine’s US Senate race, leads governor Janet Mills by 27 points, according to new polling from Emerson College.
The survey shows Platner — an oysterman and former marine now contending with several controversies from his past — at 55%, while Mills, the 78‑year‑old governor backed by the Senate’s top Democrat, sits at 28%.
The poll also finds both Democrats ahead of incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins in hypothetical general‑election matchups: Platner leads 48% to 41%, while Mills holds a narrower 46% to 43% edge.
Collins, a longtime GOP moderate who has represented Maine in the Senate since 1997, is expected to face a competitive race regardless of which Democrat emerges from the primary.
Last week, I reported that Elizabeth Warren became the fourth senator to endorse Platner, joining Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democrats Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico in backing the populist candidate.
Platner and Mills will face off in the Democratic primary in June.
Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi, co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, said he’s “happy the president’s taking this type of action,” referring to Trump’s announcement on the planned executive order directing the DHS secretary to pay TSA workers, though “we have to find out if it’s legal.”
Suozzi joined CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday evening, joined by Republican representative Brian Fitzpatrick, also co-chair of the caucus.
“I wish he had done it weeks ago,” Suozzi said.
Chris Stein
In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Dallas, Mike Davis, a conservative lawyer with ties to the Trump administration, repeatedly warned that “justice is definitely coming” for Donald Trump’s enemies.
He singled out former CIA director John Brennan, who has long been in Trump’s crosshairs for how the agency handled the investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. The justice department announced a criminal investigation into Brennan last July.
“I would say to people like John Brennan, your days as a free man may be numbered,” Davis told CPAC, to applause.
He went on to warn of retribution to come for former special counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Trump but abandoned the cases after he won re-election, and other Joe Biden and Barack Obama administration officials who he alleged “politicized and weaponized the intel agencies and law enforcement”.
“That is textbook conspiracy against rights,” Davis said, something that is illegal under federal law. “This is ongoing. Because it’s an ongoing conspiracy … they’re not going to be able to hide from the statute of limitations.”
Trump’s record of retaliating against his enemies is mixed. Last year, an inexperienced federal prosecutor handpicked for the job attempted to bring charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James, but quickly saw the indictments dismissed by a federal judge.
Meanwhile, Democratic representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said she was “very glad that these workers are finally being paid,” following Trump’s plans to direct DHS secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay TSA officers, who haven’t received a full paycheck since 14 February.
“It is shameful the Trump administration chose not to pay them for 41 days,” DeLauro said in a social media post. “Why couldn’t it have been done sooner?”
Senate majority leader John Thune told the AP that Trump’s announcement that he will pay TSA agents “takes the pressure off” negotiations over funding the entire department of homeland security (DHS), but it is a “short term solution.”
Thune said he would have more to say about next steps later Thursday evening, but senators want “to fund everything.”
“We’re going to try to fund as much of the DHS budget as we possibly can,” Thune said.
It remains unclear whether the Senate would stay in session ahead of a two-week recess to figure out how to fund the rest of the department.
Republicans on Thursday praised President Donald Trump after announcing he would sign an executive order directing the secretary of homeland security to cover the salaries of airport transportation security officers.
“I very much appreciate President Trump’s decisive leadership to get TSA back to full capacity and to end the debacle created by the Democrats’ resistance,” said senator Lindsey Graham.
“President Trump is doing absolutely the right thing to get TSA agents paid,” said Republican senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, in a social media post. “President Trump is showing leadership at a time the Democrats are continuing to fight against the hardworking, freedom loving people of our country.”
It remains unclear exactly where the money to fund paychecks for 50,000 airport security agents will come from as the partial government shutdown continues without a definitive resolution in sight.
Senate Democrats have stated their willingness to reopen DHS if Republicans agree to make significant changes and oversight for ICE and its operations.
Trump to sign executive order directing DHS to pay TSA agents amid funding standoff
President Trump announced he would sign an executive order directing the secretary of homeland security (DHS) to grant immediate payments to 50,000 airport security officers amid the DHS shutdown.
“I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do!,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports.”
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have been working without pay since mid-February amid a budget stalemate in the Senate, which has led to hours-long delays at airports nationwide.
Trump’s signature to appear on US paper currency, Treasury says
The department of treasury announced that US paper currency will soon feature President Donald Trump’s signature to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.
The move marks the first time a sitting US president’s signature will appear on legal tender. To accommodate this change, the treasurer’s signature will be removed for the first time since 1861.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” said secretary of the treasury Scott Bessent in a statement. “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.”
The first $100 bills with Trump’s signature and that of Bessent will be printed in June, followed by other bills in subsequent months, according to Reuters.
“As the 250th anniversary of our great nation approaches, American currency will continue to stand as a symbol of prosperity, strength, and the unshakable spirit of the American people under President Trump’s leadership,” said treasurer Brandon Beach in a statement.
The Trump administration has opened investigations into medical school admissions at Stanford, Ohio State, and the University of California, San Diego, according to a department of justice official.
Harmeet K Dhillon, DoJ’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, reposted a report by the New York Times about the news on social media and said “We did this yesterday. Among other things!”
This is the latest step in the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs that officials say exclude white and Asian American students.
According to the report from the Times, the administration is seeking information about medical school applicants from each of the past seven years, including test scores, home ZIP codes and any familial relationships to alumni or ties to university donors. DoJ is also requesting copies of any internal messages at the universities about diversity, equity and inclusion and any correspondence between school officials and pharmaceutical companies about admissions policies.
Since Trump took office, his administration has warned schools and colleges they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, hiring, scholarships and all aspects of campus life.
“At this time, our investigation will focus on possible race discrimination in medical school admissions,” Dhillon wrote in each of the letters to the universities, per the Times.
David Smith
The Guardian’s David Smith brings us more details about today’s cabinet meeting:
They have become so notorious for displays of flattery and obsequiousness that critics have drawn comparisons with North Korea. Thursday’s cabinet meeting at the White House was no different.
Doug Burgum, the US interior secretary, outflanked his fellow praise singers by saying he believes that Venezuela – which the US attacked in January – intends to honour the president with a statue.
Trump had brought up the subject by claiming the raid that captured president Nicolás Maduro, who was replaced by interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, was a win-win situation.
“We’ve made a lot of money and they’ve made a lot of money,” Trump declared. “I am the highest polling person. In other words, after the presidency I think I may go to Venezuela and run for president against Delcy. I may run against Delcy. It’s an option. They love me in Venezuela.”
Later in the meeting, Burgum, who recently visited Venezuela with oil and mining executives, sensed his opportunity. He said: “I literally think they’re going to put up a statue to President Trump and I’m not being – it’s not a political statement.”
Read the full story:
White House pushes back on report that Trump considering bypassing Congress to pay TSA staff
Shrai Popat
Earlier, we noted that according to the Washington Post, several Senate Republicans are pressing the White House to declare a national emergency to free up money to pay TSA agents if lawmakers fail to reach a deal, citing people familiar with the matter.
In response to the Post’s reporting, Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the White House “is having discussions about a number of ideas to blunt the impact of the Democrat shutdown crisis, but no preparations or plans are currently underway”.
The press secretary added that “the best and easiest way to pay TSA Agents is to fund DHS.”
At a cabinet meeting today, Trump continued to blame Democrats for the deadlock on Capitol Hill. “They need to end the shutdown immediately, or we’ll have to take some very drastic measures,” he said, without going into detail.
President Donald Trump said he was postponing any strikes against Iran’s power plants for 10 days, extending the pause to 6 April at 8pm Eastern Time.
“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Here’s a recap of today’s events
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Senate majority leader John Thune has said he believes that DHS funding talks are beginning to make progress again, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security enters its sixth week, per Punchbowl News. The Democrats are in possession of “what I think is our last and final” offer, the reporter quotes Thune as saying, giving no further details.
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The Senate failed to achieve 60 votes needed to pass an amendment to the Save America act that would require voters to present photo ID to cast a ballot. The chamber voted 52-47, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. No Democrats voted for it. Earlier today, Trump urged Republicans to terminate the Senate filibuster.
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During a cabinet meeting earlier, Donald Trump said that Iran was letting 10 oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in the supposed negotiations. As a reminder, my colleagues are covering all the latest from the Middle East here.
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Donald Trump wants to renovate the White House’s treaty room, traditionally a meeting space for diplomats and statesman, into a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom. This is according to the New York Times.
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The deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro again appeared in a Manhattan federal court for his “narco-terrorism” case after his capture by US military forces earlier this year. The full report by Victoria Bekiempis and Tom Phillips is here.
