Today in Politics, Bulletin 117. 4/24/25

… Tommy Tuberville announced that he will be leaving the Senate next year to run for Governor of Alabama.

… From Yellowhammer: “Back in the state while Congress is in recess, Tuberville told a group of donors at a private event on Wed night that his mind is officially made up. Rather than seeking re-election to the Senate, he is ready to run his next race in AL, and serve the people of the state in Montgomery instead of Washington. An official campaign announcement is imminent in the coming weeks. Tuberville has been privately discussing jumping into the 2026 gubernatorial race for quite some time.”

… Trump called for Rupert Murdoch to fire the Fox pollster after their latest poll showed his approval rating slumping to a dismal 44%. Presidents typically enjoy a honeymoon period with the public during their first 100 days, but Trump’s first few months has a majority of Americans looking for a divorce.

… Trump: “Rupert Murdoch has told me for years that he is going to get rid of his FoxNews, Trump Hating, Fake Pollster, but he has never done so. This ‘pollster’ has gotten me, and MAGA, wrong for years. Also, and while he’s at it, he should start making changes at the China Loving Wall Street Journal. It sucks!!!”

… Fox host Bret Baier on air announcing the poll: “If you look at our new Fox News poll at 100 days job approval compared to other presidents, there you see the president at 44% and you see his first term at 45% at this mark.”

… Fox Poll: Do you think imposing tariffs or fees on products imported from other countries makes the products you buy more expensive, less expensive, or doesn't make much difference? More: 72%, Less: 7%.

… Fox Poll: Do you think imposing tariffs or fees on products imported from other countries helps the US economy, hurts the economy, or doesn't make much of a difference either way? Helps: 32%, Hurts: 55%.

… Pew Research: “With President Trump’s second term approaching its 100-day mark, 40% of Americans approve of how he’s handling the job – a decline of 7% from February. 59% of Americans disapprove of the admin’s tariff increases, while 39% approve. 55% disapprove of the cuts the admin is making to federal departments and agencies, while 44% approve.

… Pew: “Trump’s use of executive authority also comes in for criticism: 51% of US adults say he is setting too much policy via executive order. Far smaller shares say he is doing about the right amount (27%) or too little (5%) through executive orders.”

… The Reuters/IPSOS poll is also bad: “Just 37% of respondents approve of Trump's handling of the economy, down from 42% in the hours after his inauguration, when he promised to supercharge the economy and bring about a ‘Golden Age of America.’ The reading is well below than at any point in his first term, when it ranged from the mid-40's to mid-50's.”

… James Pethokoukis, with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, to Reuters: "You have a president who promised a golden age. But everything that's supposed to be up is down, everything that's supposed to be down is up."

… Trump was asked about the steep drop in international tourism to the US: "It's not a big deal."

… Axios reported that Elon Musk and Treasury Sec Scott Bessent hate each other and have been going at it, including an argument last week where they were in each other’s face screaming back and forth. One witness: "It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing. They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again.”

… A second witness: "It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud."

… A third Trump official: "Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much.”

… Another: "Scott can't stand Musk. That goes pretty deep and pretty far back. But he's acting like a grown-up about it."

… WaPo: “The showdown was just Musk’s latest confrontation with a top Trump appointee in a 3-month govt stint that has been peppered with controversy. He has rebuked officials such as Sec of State Rubio, Trans Sec Duffy and Trade Adviser Navarro in meetings or on social media, calling them incompetent or suggesting that they have lied. He also alienated Trump aides with unscripted remarks and abrupt edicts, forcing political appointees to scramble to explain his decisions.”

… Press Sec Karoline Leavitt was asked about the story: "It's no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country. Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process, and ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump."

… Trump is now speaking about Musk as if he is already gone: "He was a tremendous help.”

… Steve Bannon, who despises Musk, is dancing on his grave: “Elon Musk should be required to submit a certified inventory of all the fraud and waste he found while in government, and there should be full disclosure of any non-governmental entities to have obtained sensitive federal data through DOGE.”

… Fox: “Another US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down by the Houthis in Yemen on Tuesday. This is the 7th MQ-9 Reaper drone shot down by the Houthis since March 3rd. It is the 6th US MQ-9 drone shot down over Yemen since US Central Command began daily airstrikes on the Houthis on March 15th. Today marks Day 40 of US daily air strikes against the Houthis, and yet the Houthis continue to fire missiles to shoot these expensive US assets down. Each MQ-9 drone costs about $30 million a piece.”

… Whenever the subject of Pete Hegseth comes up, Trump always defends him by saying he’s doing a great job destroying the Houthis. Doesn’t sound like winning to me.

… Fox Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume: “Trump keeps pounding Zelensky and saying it's harder to deal with him than it is with Putin. Putin hasn't agreed to much of anything except yes, he'd love to annex Crimea, which is part of the proposal that's before him now. That's no concession. All that is, is taking a gain. Zelensky resists that because Crimea, up until the Russians invaded it 10 years or so ago, was part of Ukraine. So, I'm not exactly sure what the president's talking about when he says that Zelensky has been more difficult to deal with than Putin."

… Trump ally and former UK PM Boris Johnson: “Putin indiscriminately butchers more Ukrainian civilians, killing and injuring 100 in Kyiv including children. And what is his reward under the US peace proposals? 1. The right to keep sovereign Ukrainian territory he has taken by violence and in breach of international law. 2. The right to control Ukraine’s destiny by forbidding NATO membership. 3. The lifting of sanctions against Russia. 4. An economic partnership with America. 5. The chance to rebuild his armed forces for the next attack in a few short years’ time.”

… “As for Ukraine - what do they get after 3 years of heroic resistance against a brutal and unprovoked invasion? What is their reward for the appalling sacrifices they have made? Apart from the right to share their natural resources with the US, they get nothing. What is there in this deal that can realistically stop a third Russian invasion? Nothing. If we are to prevent more atrocities by Putin then we must have a long term, credible and above all properly funded security guarantee for Ukraine - a guarantee issued by the UK, the US and all western allies.”

… Since nothing else is working, Trump tried a new strategy today with this Truth Social post: “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”

… At the WH later, Trump was asked if he really thought Putin was going to stop bombing civilians in Ukraine because of his Truth Social post: “I do.”

… Trump was asked what Russia was being asked to give up in the US peace proposal: “Stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country. Pretty big concessions.”

… Sec of State Marco Rubio with Trump today: “Everyone should be thanking the president for being a peacemaker and trying to save lives.”

… The sycophants are obsessed with everyone else kissing Trump’s ass as much as they do. Pathetic.

… Pete Hegseth on Tuesday about his Chief of Staff Joe Kasper: "He's staying with us. Going to be in a slightly different role, but he's not going anywhere, certainly not fired."

… Today from Politico: “SCOOP: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's controversial chief of staff, Joe Kasper is *OUT* and will leave DOD today. Kasper is the *FIFTH* top DOD official to leave the agency in the past week, and was a central figure in a power struggle that cost three top aides their jobs.”

… AP: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer. Known as a dirty’ internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user’s information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon’s secured connections maintain.”

… WaPo reported that Pete Hegseth used a workaround so he could continue to use Signal in secure areas where he wasn’t permitted to use his personal cell phone, by installing the app on a computer in his Pentagon office.

… Fox: “Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) says he spoke to President Trump earlier today about Defense Secretary Hegseth and advised the President to put more ‘establishment’ military advisors around Hegseth in the wake of the purge of Hegseth advisors, most of whom were friends and family.”

… Sound like he’s talking about the Deep State.

… CBS reported that Hegseth ordered modifications to a room next to the Pentagon press briefing room to retrofit it with a makeup studio that can be used to prepare for TV appearances: “The price tag for the project was several thousand dollars, according to two of the sources, at a time when the admin is searching for cost-cutting measures. The renovation that was initially planned was estimated to cost more than $40,000, but the ideas were scaled back.”

… DOD spokesperson responded to the story: "Changes and upgrades to the Pentagon Briefing Room are nothing new and routinely happen during changes in an admin."

… Full-time social media troll/part-time govt employee Hegseth posted a response to the story: “1) Totally fake story. No ‘orders’ and no ‘makeup’ - but whatever. 2) We should have installed tampon machines in every men’s bathroom at DoD instead - the leftist ‘news’ media would have loved that.”

… Commerce Sec Howard Lutnick was in the Oval Office doing what he does best, kissing Trump’s ass just like Rubio, although he seems to enjoy it more than Lil Marco: "All those factories that you're bringing in because of your trade policy - we're gonna train people in tradecraft. Bring back tradecraft to America so that people can work in these factories with great paying jobs. We're gonna remake the American dream."

… Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald: “Meanwhile in China they have already built robots to do ‘tradecraft’ - and retrained factory workers as mechanical engineers to use technology to run robotics. Old school factory jobs will not bring back the American dream - it will set us back decades. We need more engineers, not assembly line workers.”

… After Trump claimed yesterday that officials in his Admin were actively negotiating a new trade deal with China, Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong said Trump is lying: “Any claims about the progress of China-US trade negotiations are groundless as trying to catch the wind and have no factual basis. The unilateral tariff increase measures were initiated by the US. If the US really wants to solve the problem, it should face up to the rational voices of the international community and all parties at home, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find ways to resolve differences through equal dialogue.”

… China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also said there has been no talks: “This tariff war was launched by the US, and the Chinese side’s position has always been clear and consistent. If we fight, we will fight to the end; if we talk, the door is wide open. Any dialogue or negotiation must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit.”

… Reporter to Trump today: China is saying that it’s fake news that trade talks are happening. Trump: “They had a meeting this morning. We’ve been meeting with China. I think you have your reporting wrong.” Reporter: Who is “they”? Trump: “It doesn’t matter who ‘they’ is.”

… In other words, just more lies from Trump. There are no talks.

… WSJ: “Well aware of the divisions inside the US, Chinese state media in recent weeks has portrayed Trump as out of touch with many American voters, with Trump’s policies stirring inflationary concerns and raising uncertainty that has hampered business investment and hiring. On Thursday, it highlighted the news that 12 states have sued the Trump admin over the tariffs.”

… WaPo: “Senior aides across Trump admin are holding high-level meetings over China curbs on rare earths critical to huge range of US economic activity. Deep concern about impact; no easy answers. Companies relying on reserves that wont last forever. It may help explain to explain Trump’s blink. Beijing does not feel like it is going to back down and that the US is in no position to dictate terms. A big, big part of that is rare earths, where they feel they have the capacity to do significant harm to American manufacturers.”

… This is what I posted back on April 4:

… Fox Business analyst Charles Gasparino: “The talk on Wall Street based on their sources inside the WH is that Team Trump is looking for a face-saving off ramp on trade even with China. It’s why you see the conflicting responses out of Bessent; they’re an attempt to negotiate through the media, acting tough but signaling the need for a deal (calling the China contretemps unsustainable because they are).”

… Gasparino: “I hear one possible way out of this is not to do done deals, but to announce some broad outline that avoids what people inside the admin know but won’t say: An economic catastrophe if the original plan with China is implemented given just how much US businesses deal with the Mainland and the rest of Asia.”

Yesterday on my podcast Uncovered we did a deeper dive into the Top 10 stories of the week. Link to show is here. This was a VERY BUSY news day with stuff happening all over the place, so this is a long Bulletin with quite a ways to go!

… Bloomberg reported that Bessent’s plan to create an Asian trading bloc against China as leverage for the US has failed miserably: “Japan intends to push back against any US effort to bring it into an economic bloc aligned against China because