Trump news at a glance: Doge access to federal payroll and Trump's third term comment spark alarm
Members of Elon Musk's so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) reportedly gained access to a payroll system over the weekend that processes salaries for about 276,000 federal employees across various government agencies, despite warnings from senior staff about the potential risks.
Senior career officials at the interior department reportedly issued a memo last week highlighting the unusual nature of the request to gain access to the Federal Personnel and Payroll System and the associated risks with granting it, the New York Times reported.
The memo, reviewed by the Times, stated that 'such elevated access to critical high-value asset systems is rare with respect to individual systems and no single [Department of Interior] official presently has access to all HR, payroll and credentialing systems.'
Senior employees at the interior department reportedly warned that granting Doge employees this level of access to the federal payroll system would allow them to be able to view highly sensitive personal information that is subject to controls under the Privacy Act.
They cautioned that individuals given this elevated access could become targets for cybersecurity attacks by terrorists, nations or other malicious actors.
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Donald Trump's suggestion that there are 'methods' by which he could run for a third term as US president has been met with scorn – but also warnings that he could seriously attempt it, despite being explicitly barred from doing so by the US constitution.
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The Trump administration announced a review on Monday of $9bn in federal contracts and grants at Harvard University over allegations that it failed to address issues of antisemitism on campus.
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The US has sent 17 more people accused of being gang members to El Salvador without providing their names or any other identifying information, the latest in the Trump administration's controversial method of deporting people to be imprisoned abroad without due process in the US.
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More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans about the 'danger' of the Trump administration's attacks on science.
The letter comes amid the administration's relentless assault on US scientific institutions which has included threats to private universities, federal grant cancelations and ideological funding reviews, mass government layoffs, resignations and censorship.
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The federal government has cancelled dozens of grants to study how to prevent new HIV infections and expand access to care, decimating progress toward eliminating the epidemic in the United States, scientists say.
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Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to another person involved with the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol and commuted the sentence of a former business associate of Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's scandal-plagued son.
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More Republican voters think that Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, should resign than those who think he should remain in his job, according to a poll conducted after he and other Trump administration officials shared sensitive military attack plans with a journalist who was accidentally added to a message group chat.
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Stock markets across the world fell heavily on Monday after Donald Trump suggested that new tariffs he is expected to announce this week would hit 'all countries'.
New York University canceled a presentation from a former leader of Doctors Without Borders because some of her slides discussing USAid cuts could be viewed as 'anti-governmental'.
Iran has reacted with outrage after Trump said the country will be bombed if it does not accept US demands to constrain its nuclear program.
A nearly two-century-old tree with a history tied to the former US president Andrew Jackson will be removed from the White House grounds because it is deteriorating, Donald Trump said on Sunday.
Donald Trump said the conviction of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on charges of embezzlement and her subsequent ban on running for the presidency in 2027 was a 'very big deal'.
Catching up? Here's what happened on 30 March 2025.
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The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
White House struggles to find qualified people willing to serve under Pete Hegseth: report
The White House is struggling to find sufficiently qualified personnel to work with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a report. Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News weekend host, is currently in need of a new chief staff and at least two new senior advisers but has so far failed to attract suitable candidates, according to four current and former administration officials and a Republican congressional aide who spoke to NBC News. At least three people have reportedly turned down roles working under Hegseth, an unusual situation given that the positions in question would normally be considered highly prestigious. As a result, Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump 's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles have been forced to pitch in and help with the recruitment drive, according to NBC. After being nominated by the president to lead the Pentagon in November, the tough-talking Hegseth endured a torrid nomination process, in which accusations about his drinking and a sexual assault allegation came to light, before he was finally confirmed by the Senate in January. Just two months into his tenure, as he busied himself with conducting an anti-woke purge of the U.S. military, the 'Signalgate' scandal erupted in which it emerged that Trump's short-lived national security adviser Mike Waltz had accidentally added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat in which top secret information about an upcoming bombing raid on Houthi rebels in Yemen was discussed. In April, The New York Times reported that Hegseth had shared sensitive material in another group chat that included his wife, brother and personal attorney. The secretary responded to that story by abruptly suspending two senior aides, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, as well as Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, having accused them of leaking classified material. The accused trio said the treatment they had received was 'unconscionable' and an investigation later found no evidence against them, which reportedly cast fresh doubt on Hegseth's judgment within the West Wing. Shortly after that, his own chief of staff, Joe Kasper, and spokesperson John Ullyot both left the Department of Defense (DOD), leaving behind a portrait of chaos. NBC reports that Hegseth is currently relying on retired military aide Ricky Buria for support, who is not approved of by the White House as a fruitful choice to serve as the secretary's new chief of staff because of his lack of political experience and because of his alleged past criticisms of Trump and Vance. Questions over Hegseth's competence have also seen him stood down from visiting Israel this spring, with Homeland Security Kristi Noem going in his stead, and reportedly being reprimanded by Trump for approving a classified briefing on China for Elon Musk, which was cancelled on the president's say so. 'Not a single one of these ridiculous Pentagon palace intrigue stories points to a single thing that's not getting done at the Pentagon because of the alleged 'chaos,'' Arthur Schwartz, a Republican operative with close ties to the Trump administration, said in a statement denying the story. 'This is the very definition of manufactured beltway drama that serves no purpose other than to keep reporters of questionable talent employed.'
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Billie Eilish's brother says he was tear-gassed during ‘very peaceful' LA protest
Finneas, singer-songwriter and brother of Billie Eilish, claimed he was tear-gassed by the National Guard at a protest in Downtown Los Angeles against immigration raids. The protests were sparked after ICE officers conducted raids at multiple locations, including a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District, leading to arrests and attempts by crowds to block ICE agents. Another protest occurred outside a federal building in downtown LA after demonstrators alleged detainees were being held in the basement. President Donald Trump deployed at least 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass for not handling the situation effectively. Governor Newsom condemned Trump's deployment of the National Guard as inflammatory and announced that California would sue the Trump administration, accusing Trump of illegally federalizing the National Guard.
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
MAGA leaders rip into disgraced ABC reporter Terry Moran demanding an 'apology' to Trump aide Stephen Miller
Prominent supporters President Donald Trump and MAGA influencers fired back at disgraced ABC News reporter Terry Moran on Monday after he launched a personal attack against the president and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Moran wrote on social media that the president was a 'world class hater' and that Miller was filled with 'bile.' 'You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate,' Moran wrote on a since-deleted post on X about Miller. 'Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred is only a means to an end, and that end is his own glorification. That's his spiritual nourishment,' Moran continued. Vice President JD Vance took issue with Moran for posting what he described as an 'absolutely vile smear' of Miller. 'It's dripping with hatred. Remember that every time you watch ABC's coverage of the Trump administration,' Vance wrote. Vance defended Miller's reputation, describing him as a patriot. 'As it happens, I know Stephen quite well. And he's motivated by love of country. He's motivated by a fear that people like Terry Moran make rules that normal Americans have to follow, but well connected people don't,' Vance wrote. ABC News suspended Moran for his comment on Sunday and he deleted his post. 'ABC News stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others,' the statement from ABC News read. 'The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards — as a result, Terry Moran has been suspended pending further evaluation.' Vance demanded an apology. 'ABC should apologize to Stephen. What Terry posted is disgraceful,' he wrote. Miller himself reacted to the post, flagging it as an insight into the overall corporate media view of President Trump. 'The most important fact about Terry's full public meltdown is what it shows about the corporate press in America,' Miller wrote on social media. 'For decades, the privileged anchors and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose. Terry pulled off his mask.' MAGA influencer Jack Posobiec also flagged Moran's post, announcing he 'was not even upset' by the revealing post. 'This is how just about everyone in corporate media thinks. He's just the only one dumb enough to say it out loud,' he wrote. 'Clarity is good! They hate the American people, and now they can't hide it anymore.' Journalist Megyn Kelly expressed her disbelief at the revealing post on X. 'Any actual news organization would fire him this minute,' she wrote. Kelly described Moran's suspension as a 'fig leaf' and questioned the lack of an apology from Moran. Terry Moran should be fired immediately,' wrote Republican political consultant Alex Brueseqitz on X.
