Politics News Week in Review Focuses on Pardons and Tariffs
The news on tariffs is taking a back seat this week to headlines about a flurry of pardons issued by President Donald Trump. Here is a look at what has been happening in the world of politics over the last few days.
Trump Issues Flurry of Presidential Pardons:
President Donald Trump is exercising his executive power to issue a wave of presidential pardons. The flurry of pardons began on Tuesday when Trump pardoned reality television couple Todd and Jule Chrisley. The pair was serving long prison terms after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in 2022. The couple had also been convicted of several tax crimes, including an attempt to cheat the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The pardon was initially announced by Trump adviser Margo Martin through a video showing a phone call between Trump and the couple's daughter, Savannah Chrisley. The Chrisleys are best known for their program called "Chrisley Knows Best." Savannah Chrisley participated as a speaker in last year's Republican National Convention, speaking in support of the president. Both of the Chrisleys were released from prison on Wednesday evening.
Trump followed Tuesday's pardons of the Chrisleys on Wednesday by granting several more people clemency. The pardons encompassed individuals convicted of a wide array of crimes, ranging from illegal gun possession, financial crimes, and charges of public corruption.
Former New York congressman Michael Grimm received one of the pardons after previously serving seven months in prison for tax evasion. Also pardoned on Wednesday was former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland. Rowland had been convinced on two separate occasions in federal criminal cases. On the other side of the spectrum, rapper Kentrell Gaulden, also known as NBA YoungBoy, was pardoned by Trump in connection to his convictions on federal gun crimes charges.
Political opponents of Trump said that he is using his pardon power to reward those who have been supportive of him, bypassing the normal avenue to issue pardons via the U.S. Department of Justice.
Court Halts Some of Trump's Global Tariffs
While the pardons have been the talk of the week, it does not mean that the tariff news has fallen out of the headlines. News was made late Wednesday when a three-judge team at the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump's international tariffs overstepped his power. The court in Manhattan ruled that Trump could not impose the tariffs that he issued on April 2, including duties placed on Chinese, Mexican, and Canadian goods.
The ruling was in favor of a permanent injunction, putting the legality of the tariffs into question. The order bans Trump's 30% tariffs levied against China as well as the 25% tariffs imposed on some products coming from Mexico and Canada. The ruling does not address the 25% tariffs on automobiles, vehicle parts, steel, and aluminum. This is because these tariffs were issued through Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, a separate piece of legislation that Trump leaned on when compared to the other tariffs.
DOGE Spokesperson Leaves the Agency to Work for Musk Full-Time
A top official for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly leaving her job at the controversial government agency to return to work in the private sector. DOGE spokesperson Katie Miller reportedly left DOGE to work on a full-time basis with Elon Musk in business matters not related to his job with the federal government.
Miller had been one of the Trump administration's “Special Government Employees,” giving her permission to work in the private sector alongside duties associated with the DOGE. She is the wife of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
CDC Overhauls COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for Children and Pregnant Women
There is now even more confusion surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday that it was changing its guidance for the vaccination schedule for children and pregnant women. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement through a video posted on social media, speaking alongside U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
Kennedy did not offer any scientific reasoning for changing the government's official recommendations. The decision to strike the vaccine from the recommended schedule was met by much skepticism from health care experts. Many physicians are speaking out against the move, warning that it could have dire consequences for young children and pregnant women.
Viral Video Shows French President's Wife Shoving His Face
Controversy swirled on the other side of the pond early this week when a viral video showed French President Emmanuel Macron being shoved in the face by his wife Brigitte Macron. The video was shot when the pair arrived in Vietnam for the first leg of a blitz through Southeast Asia. The president was about to disembark a plane when an arm out of the picture pushed his face back. Macron initially appeared surprised by the gesture but was able to quickly rebound and wave to the media gathered on the tarmac. The footage then apparently shows Macron offering his arm to his wife, however, she chooses to hold the railing when walking down the stairs instead.
President Macron spoke with reporters about the incident on Monday in Hanoi, saying that it was a playful gesture. He also criticized the factions of the media that he said were using the contents against him.
President Trump Keynote Speaker in Two Major Speeches
President Trump kept busy this week speaking at two major addresses. On Saturday, the president addressed the graduates at West Point, calling them "winners" and lacing his commencement speech with numerous political motifs. Trump specifically mentioned his administration's decision to eliminate diversity practices at the Pentagon, spilling over to the nation's service academies.
On Monday, Trump marked the Memorial Day holiday with a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump honored fallen service members with an appreciative speech, offering a stark contrast to a social media post earlier in the day that referred to his political enemies as "scum." Trump also used the speech at Arlington to take aim at former President Joe Biden, putting the blame on him for the arrival of more migrants.
Tensions Between Trump and Harvard Escalate
The situation between President Trump and Harvard University continued to escalate this week. Last Friday, a federal judge ruled that Trump could not prohibit the Ivy League school from extending enrollment offers to international students. U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs issued the ruling hours after the oldest university in the country filed a lawsuit against the president and his administration.
The legal team representing Harvard is arguing that the Trump decision to remove the university from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) system is unlawful. Burroughs is scheduled to hear arguments in Boston on Thursday regarding whether she is going to issue a preliminary injunction to block the Trump administration from taking more action against Harvard.
Ukrainian President Expresses Frustration with U.S. Leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his frustration with U.S. leaders for not speaking up more about the continued assault against his country by Russian forces. The comments came after Russia launched its largest strike yet against Ukraine over the weekend. The assault targeted the capital city of Kyiv, killing at least a dozen people.
Zelensky claims that the silence from the U.S. serves to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue the bombardment. However, Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, did speak out against Russia, reiterating that the latest aerial attacks are a “clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols.”
President Trump also took action after Zelensky's comments, calling on Putin to work harder to negotiate peace. The American president lashed out at Putin on Tuesday, saying that he was "playing with fire." A top Kremlin aide responded to Trump's social media post, saying that he was “not sufficiently informed” about what was happening in Ukraine.
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