Trump’s legal fighting and Elon Musk’s affairs overlap: from the political bureau

Welcome to the online version of Political officeAn evening newsletter that brings you the latest report and analysis of the NBC News Policy team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign campaign.

Happy Friday! In today’s newsletter, we dive into the various legal affairs of the Trump administration, many of which where judges are starting to be bored. We also examine how the White House manages the conflicts of potential interests for Elon Musk, given its commercial interests, and how the head of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer, manages a swell of democratic anger towards him. And finally and above all, we answer another question from the reader using data from the latest NBC News survey. Take advantage of the newsletter and enjoy your weekend.

– Scott Bland

The many judicial affairs of the Trump administration warm up

Several federal judges have expressed their frustration this week on how the administration of President Donald Trump advances his radiation program, while Trump and his allies have become even more aggressive in their criticism of judicial power, Dareh Gregorian, Gary Grumbach and Chloé Atkins.

Trump called for the dismissal of a judge who temporarily arrested the deportations carried out under the rarely used Act extraterrestrial enemiesWhile exploding the lawyer on his social platform of truth as “stands” whose decisions are “incompetent”.

The Trump administration currently has more than 15 unanswered calls, including decisions this week in reinstatement of the power of the Department of Government efficiency of Elon Musk.

You can find out more about These calls and other cases here. But first – more on musk, and how the White House manages the conflicts of potential interests for the richest man in the world – “employee of the special government”.

As a public face of the Trump government’s effectiveness department, Musk has a large portfolio that extends over the many levers of the government – and which could meet its wide range of commercial interests, Ben Kamisar reports.

But unlike another “high -level special government employee working in Trump’s White House, AI and Crypto Czar David SacksNothing proves that Musk has obtained a derogation from conflicts of interest. Such a renunciation would describe the measures he has taken to avoid overlapping between his commercial interests and his government work, include an explanation of the White House advice on the reasons why he feels comfortable with the musk’s arrangement, and identify the areas where Musk has the green light to weigh despite his commercial farms.

Instead, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News that Musk has already promised that he would avoid conflicts of potential interests, and like all “special government employees”, he “respects all applicable laws”.

In response to a NBC News survey on a potential exemption for Musk, the White House council office replied that “the White House has no sensitive disclosure to your request.” And although certain ethics documents are not immediately available at Liberation, becoming rather public weeks after the submission, the White House press office did not directly say if Musk asked or received an exemption from conflicts of interest which has not yet been published publicly.

Another special government employee, Sacks, has received an exemption from conflict of interest, which was published publicly on The Public Disclosure Portal of the White House (The publication of these documents publicly on request is mandated by federal law). That 11 -page memoWritten by the lawyer for the White House, David Warrington, provides a roadmap to the types of conflict of interest that govern special government employees. The memo shows how Sacks sought to give in his assets to satisfy the lawyers of the White House, and he demonstrates why he receives an exemption from conflicts of interest in the first place which allows him to participate in “certain specific questions concerning the regulations and policy linked to the digital asset industry”.

What to know of the Trump presidency today

• Musk Friday the Pentagon For a briefing that Trump insists that the efforts of the Ministry of Effectiveness of the Ministry of Effectiveness of the Technological Magnat, contesting a report by the New York Times, would include a discussion in terms of any potential war with China.
• Trump said That the Small Business Administration, instead of the Ministry of Education, would manage the federal portfolio of student loans in the country.
• Trump administration launches an AI tool for the use of the government.
• Trump and the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, appeared together in the oval office to announce a Boeing contract to build the new F-47 fighter.

Angry Democrats are targeting Schumer. But is it his “Biden moment”?

By Kristen Welker

The head of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., is faced with current calls to withdraw from groups of left -wing activists and even certain members of the angry congress against his decision to advance a bill for republican spending and to avoid a closure of the government. But Schumer remains provocative and continued to emphasize the fact that he is the best party leader in the Senate at the moment.

I pressed Schumer in his future in leadership when I spoke with him this week in an interview broadcast on “Meet the Press” this Sunday.

However, it does not seem to be that Schumer be confronted at the same level of opposition which confronted President Joe Biden when he resigned as presidential candidate of the Democratic Party last summer. At that time, dozens of democrats elected from the two Congress Chambers presented themselves to ask Biden to put an end to his campaign. (Schumer himself would have pushed Biden to abandon the raceAccording to the New York Times.)

At the moment, most of the declines come from democrats to the chamber. And some Senate Democrats who were frank on Biden hold their fire on Schumer.

Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., One of the first Democratic members of Congress who called Biden to withdraw last year, bypassing a question During a recent town hall to find out if Schumer should remain in his leadership post, in particular the call to call Schumer to pass the torch. Bennet said: “By dodging your question, let me say that it is important that people know, you know, when it is time to leave. And I think that in the case of Joe Biden, and we will have future conversations on all Democratic leaders.”

And Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Who has become a leading voice urging Democrats to confront Trump more aggressively, also told me to “meet the press” last week that He still supports the chief of the minority.

“The leader Schumer has a very difficult job. I do not envy the work he has,” said Murphy. “And the question is really for the members of his Democratic Caucus: are we ready to fight?”

Meanwhile, democratic anxiety continued to simmer, bubbling during the recent meetings of the town hall. And democratic voters want their party to fight, according to The latest NBC News survey.

So, does Schumer make the same mistake as Biden and exceeds his welcome as leader of the Democratic Party? I asked him this question directly, so listen on Sunday to hear his answer. Senator John Curtis, Rutah, will also join “Meet the Press” this week.

✉️ Mailbag: How do red states see Trump and Musk’s efforts?

Thank you to everyone who sent us by email this week! A reader asked how the Red States voters consult the burst of President Donald Trump’s decrees and Elon Musk’s efforts to reduce the federal government via the government’s Ministry of Efficiency.

To answer this, we turned to one of our resident survey experts, Ben Kamisar. Here is his answer:

This is an excellent question – obviously, everyone in a red state has not voted for Trump or is not on board with everything he does. But the voters of these states give Trump more latitude given his increased level of popularity there.

A way to answer this question is to search Our survey data And separated the respondents from the states who voted for Trump. Then we can compare their notes from the president to the global figures.

Trump’s approval rating in states that voted for him in 2024 is 57%, compared to 47% among voters registered nationally. Trump’s state voters are also more likely to approve its management of key issues. But they are indeed divided if they approve or disapprove of its manipulation of the economy and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

As for Doge, Trump’s state voters are more likely to have a positive vision of Musk and the department than the voters registered as a whole (49% of these voters saw musk positively, against 39% of the voters registered at the national level, while 49% of the voters of the state of Trump saw positively compared to 41% of the voters registered in the national state). And the majority of Trump’s state voters, 53%, say that Doge is a good idea.

It’s all of the political bureau for the moment. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Faith Wardwell.

If you have comments – tastes or don’t like – send us an email to politiquenewsletter@nbcuni.com

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