The White House’s partial budget proposal calls for $163 billion in federal spending cuts next fiscal year for environmental, education, foreign aid, and healthcare programs, including many already targeted by Elon Musk’s DOGE.
The fiscal 2026 budget proposal is a wish list of President Donald Trump’s spending and political priorities and does not include spending on defense, Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.
Nevertheless, despite a stated desire for efficiency and to cut waste, the president’s 79th birthday on June 14 may be celebrated with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., according to new planning documents seen by the Associated Press.
Trump’s birthday falls on the same date as the 250th anniversary of the US Army, and the event calls for as many as 6,600 soldiers from 11 corps and divisions, army bands, 150 vehicles — tanks, artillery, howitzers — 50 helicopters, and more than 2,000 civilians marching from Arlington, Virginia, into the capital.
The estimated cost of a similar parade pitched by Trump in his first term was $92 million. The Army says no final decision has been made and there is no formal announcement from the White House.
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Key points
- Trump budget plan includes massive cuts to punish ‘woke’ and ‘weaponized’ agencies
- Plans revealed for massive military parade on Trump’s 79th birthday
- President Trump ends major China tariff loophole: 'A big scam'
- Trump signs executive order blocking federal funding for PBS and NPR
- Marco Rubio now holds four titles after Waltz ousting from NSA. It might be a record
- Trump: ‘We will take away Harvard’s tax exempt status’
ICYMI: Trump uses Alabama graduation speech to bash transgender athletes and air usual political grievances
18:13
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump told college graduates they’d be embarking on their careers in the “golden age of America” and could be the “greatest generation” when he delivered the commencement address at the University of Alabama Thursday.
And it was all thanks to him and his policies.
Michelle Del Rey watched.
'He's not Kissinger'
18:04
,
Oliver O'Connell
California Democrat Eric Swalwell says Secretary of State Marco Rubio cannot juggle multiple positions in the administration.
The congressman spoke with Kate Bolduan on CNN News Central on Friday morning and was asked if it was practical for Rubio to take on being both the U.S.’s lead diplomat and the national security adviser (in addition to his two other roles).
Giving a firm “No,” Bolduan noted that Henry Kissinger had both roles decades ago.
Swalwell said: “He’s not Kissinger. And these challenges right now from, you know, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan and other challenges across the world, they command, you know, serious people who are focused and are bringing competence to the job. We don’t have that in Secretary of State Rubio. And – and we don’t have that in Pete Hegseth. And so, Donald Trump, it’s just been – you know, we went from a Trump slump to now a Trump train wreck from the economy and national security. And there’s a level of seriousness that people want to see on these consequential decisions.”
Full story: Trump budget plan includes massive cuts to punish ‘woke’ and ‘weaponized’ agencies
17:54
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year would slash approximately $163 billion from key federal programs in education, health, housing and other sectors while boosting spending on immigration enforcement and defense programs in an effort to gut wide swaths of government that drew the ire of conservative activists during his four years out of government.
The blueprint for the president’s budget, which was officially transmitted to Congress on Friday, would cut discretionary, non-defense spending — a category that does not include earned benefit programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — by 22.6 percent next year by reducing or eliminating many programs while giving defense spending a 13 percent boost.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Palm Beach, Florida.
FDA rehires FOIA staffers after missing court deadlines to turn over documents
17:46
,
AP
The Food and Drug Administration is bringing back some of the 100 recently fired staffers who process document requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
Staffers across several parts of the agency were notified of the decision Thursday in writing or by phone, according to two agency staffers who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss agency matters. The notifications went out to employees who work in the centers for drugs, tobacco and other product areas. The FDA responds to thousands of FOIA requests each year from lawyers, journalists, companies and physicians.
In recent days, the FDA has missed multiple court-ordered deadlines to hand over documents to parties suing the agency, which can result in hefty fines. The missed deadlines prompted the decision to bring back FOIA staffers.
‘Big Balls’ speaks about role in Musk’s cost-cutting agency for first time
17:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
A teenage DOGE staffer known as “Big Balls” has spoken about his role in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting crew for the first time.
Edward Coristine appeared in a panel discussion with Musk on Fox News Thursday as they defended their work dismantling the federal government.
“Who is Big Balls?” host Jesse Watters asked on his program Watters World, surrounded by DOGE members and supporters at a huge oval conference table.
“I am,” piped up 19-year-old DOGE staff member Edward Coristine.
“That should be obvious,” Musk quipped to laughter.
Mary Papenfuss has the story.
Poll: Americans still have an insane amount of trust in Joe Rogan and Megyn Kelly
17:16
,
Oliver O'Connell
More people hold a favorable view of podcasters Joe Rogan and Megyn Kelly than those who see them unfavorably, while the leading news source for those surveyed is social media and YouTube, a new poll has found.
According to the survey conducted by Emerson College Polling, which was conducted last month and consisted of 1000 adults, Rogan received the highest favorability rating among the media personalities presented to the respondents.
Justin Baragona took a look at the numbers.
Hegseth orders Pentagon to develop new national defense strategy by Aug. 31
17:11
,
AP
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to develop a new national defense strategy by August 31.
The strategy is the main blueprint that lays out the department’s priorities as it moves to confront national security threats around the world.
It will be Hegseth’s opportunity to highlight what he wants the U.S. military to focus on for the next several years, and how the department will shift toward Trump’s America First doctrine.
The draft also will have to reflect the impact of Hegseth’s sweeping personnel cuts and decisions to merge a number of military commands.
The order was signed Friday.
How ‘Little Marco’ found Trump’s favor and became the ‘Secretary of Everything’ with four jobs
16:57
,
Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come a long way from “little Marco,” the name Donald Trump gifted his then-rival for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, when Rubio labeled him a “con artist” who cheated workers after never having worked a day in his life himself.
Rubio, nearly 10 years later, has more job titles than anyone in the Trump administration.
Continue reading...
Watch: Carney confirms Trump meeting
16:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on President Trump: "It's important to get engaged immediately...I'm pleased to have the opportunity for quite a comprehensive set of meetings that will take place on Tuesday." pic.twitter.com/arEdyU6wU6
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 2, 2025
Trump to meet Carney at White House on Tuesday, report says
16:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
Bloomberg reports that newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter.
This is their first encounter since Carney won the Canadian election in part because of his anti-Trump message.
The specifics of the meeting are still being worked out, according to the people, who asked not to be identified for discussing a meeting that hasn’t been formally announced.
Carney’s office declined to comment to Bloomberg, and the White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Trump had earlier said that Carney would be coming to Washington “within the next week or less,” during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Trump makes first judicial nomination of second term
16:19
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has made his first judicial nomination since returning to the White House with a nomination for the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.
Trump praised Whitney Hermandorfer's background, highlighting her college basketball career at Princeton University.
The president also described her as a staunch defender of girls and women's sports.
Trump wrote on Truth Social late last night:
I am pleased to announce the nomination of Whitney Hermandorfer to serve as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Whitney has been serving the Great People of Tennessee, in the Attorney General’s Office, where she has strongly litigated in Court to protect Citizens from Federal Government Overreach. A former Co-Captain of the Princeton University Women’s Basketball Team, Whitney is a staunch defender of Girls’ and Women’s Sports. She has a long history of working for Judges and Justices who respect the RULE OF LAW, and protect our Constitution, including Justice Samuel Alito and two fine Supreme Court Justices I appointed in my First Term. Whitney is a Fighter who will inspire confidence in our Legal System. Thank you Whitney!
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said Hermandorfer’s leadership of the state’s Strategic Litigation Unit “set a high bar for excellence.”
The State of Tennessee has trusted Whitney Hermandorfer over and over with complex cases of national significance. She has never let us down. Her leadership of Tennessee's Strategic Litigation Unit sets a high bar of excellence at every level of the federal judiciary, all the way… pic.twitter.com/n4USvdVKJG
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) May 2, 2025
In full: Trump signs executive order blocking PBS and NPR funding
16:00
,
James Liddell
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order cancelling all PBS and NPR federal funding after accusing them of “bias” in their news coverage.
The executive order, signed on Thursday night, stated that “neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”
The two news organizations are America's primary public broadcasters and have received federal funding ever since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967. The act led to the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for public radio and television. They receive roughly half a billion dollars in public money.
Madeline Sherratt has the details:
Plans revealed for massive military parade on Trump’s 79th birthday
15:46
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14 could be celebrated with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., according to newly-emerged planning documents.
The White House has previously denied that any such event was in development but the documents – dating from April 28 and 29, seen by the Associated Press (AP) but not yet made public – outline a spectacular occasion to mark the commander-in-chief’s birthday, which happens to fall on the same date as the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
Joe Sommerlad has the details.
GOP telling the White House that DOGE cuts will not be permanent
15:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
The White House is encountering pushback from congressional Republicans as the administration works to enshrine the cuts instituted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency into law.
Congressional Republicans have said in private conversations that it would be a stretch to codify even a small part of the cuts put in place by Musk, according to The Washington Post.
Both the courts and Congress are refusing to legally protect the cuts pushed through by Musk, and the White House has few options to ensure the reductions have a lasting effect.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, D.C.
Trump planning 'purge of White House staff' after ousting Waltz
15:11
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump’s decision to remove Mike Waltz as his national security adviser could be followed by a mass firing of White House staff being dubbed “The Purge,” according to a report.
The dismissals could come as soon as late next week, sources have told Politico, with one insider saying “a lot” of employees will be let go over perceived loyalty concerns, with the president preferring to announce their removal in one sweeping gesture, rather than in piecemeal fashion one-by-one.
While Trump has so far managed to avoid a repeat of the same level of staffing chaos as his first term, which saw almost as high a turnover as the average season of his NBC reality show The Apprentice, Waltz’s firing could mark the opening of the floodgates.
Joe Sommerlad has the story:
Trump fumes over Democrats who are ‘into the impeachment thing’
14:59
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump suggested that two Democrats who have filed articles of impeachment against the president should be expelled from Congress.
Trump appeared to refer to Michigan Representative Shri Thanedar, who introduced seven articles of impeachment targeting the president on Monday. The bid is being co-sponsored by Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky. Texas Representative Al Green said last month he will present articles of impeachment against Trump.
“The Democrats are really out of control. They have lost everything, especially their minds! These Radical Left Lunatics are into the ‘Impeachment thing’ again,” Trump began his Truth Social tirade just before midnight.
“They have already got two ‘No Name,’ little respected Congressmen, total Whackjobs both, throwing the ‘Impeachment’ of DONALD J. TRUMP around, for about the 20th time, even though they have no idea for what I would be Impeached.”
He added: “The Republicans should start to think about expelling them from Congress for all of the crimes that they have committed, especially around Election time(s).”
Despite concerns over Trump’s tariffs, Jobs report defies expectations and hiring remains steady
14:44
,
Oliver O'Connell
The latest jobs report has defied expectations and hiring remains steady despite concerns over President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, which have shaken financial markets and worried consumers.
Fresh data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate remains at 4.2 percent.
The report also comes with a downward revision of job numbers for the reports from February and March.
The bureau also revised the number of jobs added in February by 15,000 from 117,000 jobs to 102,000. It also revised the number of jobs added in March from 228,000 to 185,000 jobs.
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) May 2, 2025
Rhian Lubin in New York and Eric Garcia in Washington, D.C., report.
White House budget calls for $163bn in federal spending cuts, reports say
14:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
The partial budget proposal the White House is set to release today will call for $163 billion in federal spending cuts next fiscal year, a person familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, confirming earlier reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
Per the Post:
The upcoming “skinny budget” will propose cuts to a broad array of federal spending on environmental, education, foreign aid and health-care programs, including many of those already targeted for reductions by the Trump administration or billionaire Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service, the person said. Among the agencies proposed to see reductions include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among others, the person said.
The White House is expected to release a much lengthier, traditional budget later in the month.
The fiscal 2026 budget proposal is a largely symbolic wish list that lays out President Donald Trump’s spending and political priorities.
The budget plan will propose $557 billion in nondefense discretionary spending, officials told the Journal, reducing nondefense discretionary spending by $163 billion. The administration said that represents a 22.6 percent cut from projected spending in fiscal year 2025, which ends September 30, though it wasn’t clear how that percentage was calculated.
Nondefense discretionary spending is federal money that must be reauthorized each year to fund areas such as education, transportation, and public health, but not defense, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Congress will spend months debating which elements of the proposed plan should be turned into law. Republicans control both the House and the Senate, but only by a slim margin, so satisfying individual lawmakers’ spending priorities to wrangle the necessary votes will be a tricky balancing act for congressional leaders.
Trump moves to block federal funding for NPR and PBS
14:29
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump signed an executive order to end public funding of National Public Radio and PBS to stop what he considered partisan coverage and “left-wing propaganda.”
The order, which the president signed Thursday evening, instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS” to the extent legally allowed.
“Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options,” it reads. “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”
Watch: Trump tears into trans athletes during Alabama commencement speech
14:08
,
James Liddell
China weighs trade talks with US
13:48
,
James Liddell
Beijing announced Friday that it was weighing whether to hold trade talks with Washington after the Trump administration’s multiple attempts to kick off negotiations.
China’s Commerce Ministry said that the Asian nation was “evaluating” the U.S.’s offer to talk.
The Chinese department said it would do so under one condition: if Donald Trump cancels its hefty tariffs on Chinese goods.
“If the United States does not correct its wrong unilateral tariff measures, it means that the United States has no sincerity at all and will further damage the mutual trust between the two sides,” a ministry spokesperson said.
China and the U.S. have been engaged in a bitter trade war, throttling trade between the two nations after Trump imposed a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China raised its tariffs on US products to 125 percent.
Free 10 year ‘golden visa’ comes with Trump skyscraper in Dubai
13:36
,
James Liddell
Trump is set to expand his property empire into Dubai – with a new 80-story skyscraper.
Plans have been unveiled for Trump Hotel & Residences Dubai in the heart of the UAE, measuring almost 1,150 feet with a swimming pool at the top.
Prices for two-bed apartments start at $1 million and the website for the property offers free 10-year “golden visas.”
The advertised golden visa does not specify which country it is for but in February, the President announced the concept of selling a “gold card” visa for $5 million, potentially offering wealthy buyers residency in the U.S. and granting them a pathway to citizenship.
Madeline Sherratt has the story:
Trump says he will rename Veterans Day as ‘Victory Day for World War I’
13:15
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump said that he wants to rename Veterans Day, which takes place annually on November 11 to remember fallen soldiers, to “Victory Day for World War I.”
The president said that he also wishes to celebrate May 8—which marks Victory in Europe (VE) Day—as “Victory Day for World War I.”
“We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything — That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening. “We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
Trump also said that the U.S. “did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II.”
Trump: ‘We will take away Harvard’s tax exempt status’
13:04
,
James Liddell
Trump has issued his first announcment of the day: that his administration plans to rescind Harvard University’s tax exempt status.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The White House has previously threatened to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status and its eligibility to host foreign students after the university said it would not comply with a series of demands revolving around actions on antisemitism and the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on campus.
The administration had already announced a freeze of more than $2 billion in federal funds committed to the nation’s oldest university, which is likely to last well into the summer.
Harvard made a symbolic bow to White House demands after facing officials in court late last month, announcing that it would rename its DEI office.
Watch: JD Vance claims Waltz’s removal from NSA was ‘a promotion’
12:43
,
James Liddell
Tim Walz says Kamala Harris picked him as running mate ‘to talk to white guys’
12:21
,
James Liddell
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who ran as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential nominee on the losing Democratic ticket in last year’s election, has said the former vice president picked him because he could “talk to white guys.”
Speaking at a Harvard Kennedy School forum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this week, Walz said the campaign had identified appealing to white working-class males as a weakness of their candidate and had looked to him to bridge the divide.
The governor said he was chosen ahead of the likes of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly because he could put white, rural voters “at ease” and provide “permission” for them to vote for Harris.
“I... was on the ticket, quite honestly, because I could code talk to white guys watching football, fixing their truck, doing that, then I could put them at ease,” he said.
Joe Sommerlad has more:
'Internet people' like Elon Musk are 'kissing my a**,' Trump says
11:49
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump said that “internet people” who were staunch critics during the president’s first term are now “kissing my a**.”
Trump made the jab in front of the 2025 graduates of the University of Alabama on Thursday in a commencement speech that verged on campaign rally territory.
“If you look at some fo these internet people, I know so many of them. Elon is so terrific,” he said.
“They all hated me in my first term. And now they’re kissing my a**,” Trump said to laughs and cheers from the audience as it applauded. “All of them. It’s true.”
Rubio now holds four titles. It might be a record
11:23
,
James Liddell
Derided by Donald Trump as “Little Marco” in 2016, Marco Rubio has since become one of the most powerful cabinet members in the Trump administration.
Rubio previously held three roles that included secretary of state, acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and acting archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration.
After Mike Waltz’s ousting, he has now be tasked with juggling a fourth: Trump’s interim national security adviser. The New York Times, which gave Rubio the sobriquet “Secretary of Everything,” noted it could be a record in the modern history of the U.S. government.
Trump announced Waltz and Rubio’s new roles on social media on Thursday.
The shake-up comes just weeks after the Signalgate scandal, where Waltz inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic into a chat discussing war plans in Yemen.
Trump taps Waltz for UN ambassador after national security adviser departure
10:57
,
James Liddell
President Donald Trump has tapped Mike Waltz to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations after ousting him as National Security Adviser.
The shake-up comes just weeks after the Signalgate scandal, where Waltz inadvertently added a journalist from The Atlantic into a chat discussing war plans in Yemen.
Trump announced the move in a post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon after reports of Waltz’s departure broke.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said in the post.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”
White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg and senior reporter Rhian Lubin have the full details:
Trump ends 'big scam' China tariff loophole
10:48
,
James Liddell
Just after midnight Friday, the Trump administration eliminated a U.S. tariff exemption that led to the rise of Chinese e-commerce companies such as Shein and Temu, fueling fears that Americans who shop online will face higher prices.
The major shipping loophole, known as the de minimis exemption, allowed goods worth under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free as long as they were shipped directly to consumers or small businesses.
Use of the loophole ramped up after Trump imposed a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods entering the U.S.
Trump vowed Wednesday he would “put an end to” the “big scam going on against our country.”
Packages from China and Hong Kong will now be taxed at 120 percent of their value or charged a flat rate with fees starting at $100 and set to increase to $200 on June 1.
Waltz in fresh Signal controversy
10:36
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz faces fresh Signal controversy after being spotted using the messaging app during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
Waltz was photographed using the app a day before he was replaced with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and, instead, nominated as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, which requires Senate confirmation.
Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Rubio appeared to be among those who Waltz had recently been texting on the app.
It follows March’s Signalgate scandal, which saw Waltz mistakenly invite The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeff Goldberg to the “Houthi PC small group” Signal group that included top officials to discuss highly classified information about an impending U.S. strike in Yemen in March.
JD Vance suggests Waltz actually got a ‘promotion’
10:23
,
James Liddell
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage.
Vice President JD Vance suggested that ousted National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who has been tapped as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, actually got a “promotion.”
“He wasn’t let go, he’s being made ambassador to the United Nations—which of course is a Senate-confirmed position—I think you could make a good argument that it’s a promotion,” Vance told Fox News’ Brett Baier Thursday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be stepping in as an interim adviser, while Waltz would move on to the new role, President Donald Trump announced earlier on Thursday.
The Independent's live coverage has paused for the evening
04:09
,
Michelle Del Rey
Please come back tomorrow for more breaking news
Trump concludes his remarks by telling students he's connected to Alabama
03:28
,
Michelle Del Rey
“From the first day I set my foot on this beautiful soil, I connected with Alabama,” Trump said.
“And here in Alabama, we believe that the men and women who built this country are heroes, and that America's destiny is to be the single greatest nation on the face of the earth, and we're bringing it back at a speed that nobody thought was possible.”
Trump encourages students to pursue their ambitions
02:19
,
Andrew Feinburg
“If you're here today and think that you're too young to do something great, let me tell you that you are wrong. You're not too young. You can have great success at a very young age,” said Trump.
“Young people can do anything. I was 28 when I took my first big gamble to develop a hotel in Midtown ... and it worked out incredibly well.”
The president encouraged students to push themselves further, find their limits and find a career they love.
“I rarely see somebody who's successful that doesn't love what he or she does. I had a lot of different careers, but I loved real estate so much, and I was very successful in real estate because I loved it."
Trump continues remarks by telling students not to 'waste your youth'
02:00
,
Andrew Feinburg
The majority of the president’s remarks echoed versions of his rally speeches.
Trump began his comments by thanking various Alabama officials.
He encouraged students not to “waste their youth.”
“Ancient wisdom is being rediscovered in the
