Welcome to the online edition of From The Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that provides the latest reports and analysis from the NBC News Politics team’s White House, Capitol Hill and Campaign Trail.
In today’s edition, Jonathan Allen speaks to federal workers about Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn approach to the government. Additionally, Steve Kornacchi delves into how President Donald Trump sees the economy handling during his early weeks in office.
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– Adam Walner
“Absolute Chaos”: Doge s confusion to seek “efficiency”
Jonathan Allen
President Donald Trump has pledged to make the federal government more efficient. He even made billionaire Elon Musk the face of the government’s new efficiency.
However, critics have said that mask chainsaw approaches to reduce government programs, contracts and jobs have the opposite effect, and that bureaucratic ability to serve the masses and implement important parts of Trump’s own agenda. He says he is holding the confusion that has hindered him.
“It’s paralysis and I’ve done nothing,” said a Veterans Affairs official who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of retaliation. Officials described the “absolute confusion” at the agency, and even Trump’s political appointees were feared of missteps and received backlash from the White House or the public.
“The best employees are beginning to see other places,” the official added. “I can’t stress that too much.”
Trump and other White House officials say the president is excited about the mask job and hopes he will become more aggressive. However, within the political rank of the administration, there are indications of risk that Cabinet Secretaries risk losing civil servants with the best equipment to carry out important government functions, and rank and file civil servants The belly button gaze has become a distracting task, which is important.
In short, running a government can be more difficult than it looks.
Email Ultimatum Fallout: Several veteran federal workers who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity have spent several hours on Monday deciding how the agency’s managers and employers will handle Musk’s email directives. He said it took more time to assemble the bullet list.
“We probably shared our thoughts on how to approach her with friends of other federal employees from various agencies for at least 30-60 minutes,” said the worker who asked her agency not to name her. One said. “Maybe you’ll spend 60 minutes thinking about how it’s interpreted, look at the prohibited words and make sure I don’t include them.”
Employees mentioned words such as “diversity.” “I shared at least a 30-minute draft with my manager via email before sending it,” she said.
Read more →
More about Doge:
21 civil servants resigned from Doge and used technical expertise in a joint letter to “compromise core government systems, put confidential American data at risk and critical public services.” He refused to dismantle it.” Tomorrow I will be attending Trump’s first cabinet meeting. The White House has confirmed that Amy Gleason is Doge’s acting manager. Her LinkedIn profile has been listed as a senior advisor to US Digital Services since January. After facing a blow from constituents at City Hall, several House Republicans are seeking more information and compassion from Doge’s efforts.
Things you need to know from today’s President Trump
The White House considers the huge bruise on the back of Trump’s right hand to “shake hands all day every day.” A federal judge suspended the admissions program for US refugees and blocked Trump’s executive order, referring to the argument that the order likely exceeded the president’s authority. Other federal judges prevented the administration from reviving the freeze on federal funds, and the federal judges directed the administration to release the frozen foreigners. White House Press Secretary Caroline Lewitt said the administration will decide which outlets will be in the White House press pool, a small group of journalists. If space is limited, share information with a wider group.
Follow the live update →
Trump’s economic warning sign in polls
By Steve Kornacki
The new poll flood over the past week provided a snapshot of how Americans feel about Donald Trump’s second term. On average, 46% approve his work performance, and 50% disapprove. This is hardly great by historical standards, but it mostly matches what he posted in his first semester (and actually at the high end of that range).
However, there was one notable difference. It’s economy.
During his first term, the issue was a rare bright spot for Trump in the vote. In his four years in office, he achieved a 49% approval rate for the economy’s handling, with 41% disapproving, according to a vote by NBC News. However, recent research has reversed these figures.
The difference may not be large in the raw numbers, but it becomes even more important when you consider that Trump’s average first-term rating for the economy surpasses all previous generations of this century.
Trump’s 49%-41% rating on the economy was far higher than his overall average job approval rate (44%-53%). And the contrast between his first term economic numbers and his successor, Joe Biden, offered Trump a significant advantage during his campaign last year.
However, in the early part of his second period, Trump numbers coincided with Barack Obama and George W. Bush, both due to the economic upheavals of 2007 and 2008 and their prolonged effects. It has decreased.
The administration’s argument is that Trump has inherited the rough situation from Biden, and the economy will soon gain strength. But for now, Democrats feel the potentially powerful political weapons they will use against Trump and the GOP this fall’s recession election and mid-term next year.
If there is a silver lining for Trump and his party in the current rating, he started slowly during his first term, and during his first tenure he was the worst economic That means you posted a number. But within a year he was firmly in positive territory.
But if Trump numbers remain where they are or even declined further, this could present a political opening that they didn’t have the first time he was president.
today’s other top stories
On floor: House Speaker Mike Johnson is moving forward with the vote tonight, despite him still trying to shake up holdouts with a budget resolution moving forward on Trump’s legislative agenda. Read more →⚖→⚖scotus Surveillance: The Supreme Court abandoned the murder conviction of Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Grossip after a key witness lied to the court and prosecutor withheld information about him. Ta. It was a rare victory for a death row in a conservative court. Read more →⚖→More from the court: Rudy Giuliani on his behalf after losing his honor to two former Georgia election workers by falsely denounced election fraud after the 2020 presidential contest I was “completely satisfied.” Read more → (passage): Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs concerns immigration after signing an executive order directing state and local law enforcement to partner with customs and border protection to protect the border. Crime became one of the first Democratic governors to partner with the Trump administration. Read more → 💧 Water Test: Utah will become the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems if GOP Gov. Spencer Cox signs a bill to ban the addition of minerals to combat tooth decay It may be. Read more →
For now, it’s all from the political desk. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Faith Wardwell.
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