President Trump is urging the Senate to cancel its August recess and long weekends to confirm his nominees, following recent legislative victories.
Why it matters: Trump’s push for the Senate to continue working through the break highlights his desire to expedite the confirmation process for his nominees and maintain momentum after recent successes.
The details:
- Trump expressed hope that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would heed his call to cancel the August recess and long weekends.
- The president acknowledged that releasing more details from the Jeffrey Epstein probe might not satisfy his critics, whom he referred to as “troublemakers and radical left lunatics.”
- Nine of the ten Americans released in a recent swap with Venezuela are now back on U.S. soil, with one dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen remaining in Venezuela.
- The Trump administration has committed to facilitating the return of former detainees from the El Salvador prison CECOT if required by U.S. legal proceedings.
“The Daily Show” recently mocked former President Donald Trump after he claimed that President Joe Biden appointed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and extended his term, despite Trump himself originally nominating Powell in 2017.
Why it matters: The segment highlights the inconsistencies in Trump’s statements regarding Powell’s appointment and his recent criticism of the Fed chair.
The details:
- Trump recently criticized Biden for not cutting interest rates and described Powell as a “terrible” Fed chair, expressing surprise that Biden “put him in and extended him.”
- However, it was Trump who nominated Powell to the post in 2017, and Biden renominated him for a second term in 2021.
- Jordan Klepper, a correspondent on the show, humorously took the president’s suggestion at face value, showing a clip of Trump announcing Powell as his Fed chair pick in 2017.
- Klepper also highlighted Trump’s frequent threats to fire Powell, pointing out that Powell did not appear fazed by such talk.
“I get it. I’m also trying desperately to forget everything that happened during Trump’s first term,” Klepper quipped.
When asked if he believed the president had the power to “fire or demote” him, Powell firmly replied, “Not permitted under the law.”
What’s next: As the situation continues to develop, the independence and future direction of the Federal Reserve, along with its ability to manage monetary policy free from political influence, remain under close scrutiny.