President Donald Trump and members of his second administration are continuing their effort to swiftly remodel the federal government, including far-reaching changes to personnel. On Sunday, the president named Dan Bongino, a podcaster and former Fox News host, as deputy FBI director to serve under newly confirmed Director Kash Patel.
Latest Developments
February 25, 12:36 PM
Budget vote remains uncertain
House Republicans are currently divided over the budget blueprint aimed at jumpstarting the process to advance Trump's agenda, jeopardizing the planned vote tonight. Speaker Mike Johnson is attempting to rally support from his rank and file as several lawmakers split off to publicly oppose the measure. “We’re planning to take up our budget resolution as early as today,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters, “There may be a vote tonight. There may not be. Stay tuned. That’s why you get paid. Hang around here.”
The division is evident, with four public no votes, including Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson, and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz. Speaker Johnson can only afford to lose one more defection before the effort fails.
February 25, 12:03 PM
Emails requesting explanations from federal judges
Emails were sent to federal judges asking them to explain their work, as revealed by the Northern District of Illinois. “Once we learned about the correspondence, Chief Judge Virginia Kendall and Clerk of Court Thomas Bruton communicated with the staff... Our policies and procedures are governed by the Judicial Conference of the United States,” said spokesperson Julia Hodek. The emails were not issued by the Judicial Conference, and Supreme Court justices were not included.
February 25, 11:36 AM
Protests from terminated federal workers
Dozens of fired federal employees protested in Senate office buildings, pressing their demands directly with GOP senators like Lisa Murkowski and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Former USAID employee Elizabeth Glidden expressed concern, noting, “I’m not sure they have an appreciation for what any federal government agency does.”
February 25, 11:33 AM
Town halls reveal Republican tensions
Republicans like Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick faced tough crowds at town halls, echoing concerns of constituents about the quick actions taken by DOGE under Musk’s leadership. “I think some of their actions have been too rapid to adapt to — for real people. I mean, you're talking about Republicans too,” he remarked, indicating the growing dissatisfaction within the party.
February 25, 11:13 AM
OPM exempts White House staff from compliance
The Office of Personnel Management noted staffers at the White House are not required to comply with the “What did you do last week?” email request. “At Counsel's direction... the Executive Office of the President is exempted from this exercise,” according to their letter.
February 25, 10:14 AM
DOGE updates its website after criticism
After facing scrutiny over its claimed estimated savings, DOGE updated its official government website, raising the figure from $55 billion to $65 billion. The new total, according to DOGE, is not yet fully verifiable as claimed contracts were not posted. Critically, the site noted, “There may be discrepancies between FPDS and the posted numbers.”
February 25, 9:57 AM
Acting IRS commissioner to retire
The acting commissioner of the IRS, Doug O’Donnell, is expected to announce his retirement, with sources indicating he plans to leave on Friday. O’Donnell's departure is another challenge for the agency, which is already facing criticism amid tax filing season.
February 25, 9:33 AM
House Republicans plan budget vote
House Republicans are set to hold a vote on their budget plan tonight at 6 p.m. to initiate the process to advance Trump’s agenda. The success of this vote is uncertain, as lawmakers express opposition to the proposed budget. The leadership worked intensively over months to convince Trump to support their plan.
The urgency is clear: if passed, this budget blueprint will initiate the budgeting process necessary for advancing Trump's extensive legislative agenda including border security and tax cuts.
February 25, 9:01 AM
Immigration enforcement shows low apprehensions
The Department of Homeland Security announced the lowest migrant apprehension day in over 15 years, with only 200 encounters reported. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have sent a clear message to illegal aliens: do not come to our country. You will not be allowed in,” affirmed the senior DHS spokesperson. This reflects the administration's strict policies at the border.
February 25, 9:04 AM
Deadline passes for OPM email compliance
The deadline for federal workers to respond to Musk's email demanding detailed achievements has now passed, creating uncertainty among employees about the repercussions of non-compliance. “Responding to the email is voluntary,” said the OPM, but both Musk and Trump indicated otherwise.
The dynamics within Congress, particularly as the House prepares to face significant votes amid rising tensions, reflect the challenges Trump will encounter as he moves forward with his agenda.