logo
Here Are 16 Dystopian And Sometimes Utterly Bizarre Things Donald Trump Did This Week

Here Are 16 Dystopian And Sometimes Utterly Bizarre Things Donald Trump Did This Week

Buzz Feed12-04-2025
A week under the Trump administration can feel like a month. Oftentimes, it seems like every single day comes with a barrage of headlines, and it's hard to keep up without endlessly doomscrolling.
So, to save your thumbs and your minds, I've compiled a list of wild things Donald Trump has done this week. Enjoy (or not)!
1. Sunday, April 6:
As the stock market plummeted following Trump's tariff announcements, a reporter asked him whether there was "a threshold" of pain in the stock market that he was unwilling to tolerate.
His response? "I think your question is so stupid."
Me: Is there a 'Trump put?'
Trump: 'I think your question is so stupid. I don't want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.' pic.twitter.com/8WfBZTcXwW
— annmarie hordern (@annmarie) April 7, 2025
Fox News / Twitter: @annmarie
4. Monday, April 7:
Shifting away from the tariffs — for a moment — Trump bragged to reporters about a golf tournament he competed in. "I won. It's good to win. You heard I won, right? Did you hear I won? ... I won... I have a very low handicap."
HuffPost estimates that Trump's golf trips have cost US taxpayers upwards of $26 million so far. We're less than three months into his second term.
Trump: "I have a very low handicap." pic.twitter.com/A1aF3PFWtn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 6, 2025
CNN / Twitter: @atrupar
The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don't be Weak! Don't be Stupid! Don't be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!). Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2025
Twitter: @realDonaldTrump
6. Monday, April 7:
After winning the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers were welcome in the White House... where Trump weirdly fawned over their arms amid a bunch of bumbling.
"When you ran out the healthy arms, you ran out of really healthy— they had great arms but they ran out. It's called sports. It's called baseball in particular and pitchers I guess you could say," he said.
Trump: When you ran out the healthy arms, you ran out of really healthy— they had great arms but they ran out. It's called sports. It's called baseball in particular and pitchers I guess you could say, really particular pic.twitter.com/f4tfZfWTcL
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 7, 2025
C-SPAN / Twitter: @Acyn
7. Monday, April 7:
A photo comparison of Trump and former President Joe Biden's Oval Offices went viral because Trump has apparently redecorated the room with A LOT of gold.
This picture from the White House really shows how many gold accents have been added to the Oval Office. This is how it looked last year: https://t.co/Y2auT8fjTg pic.twitter.com/GCXoyunFjf
— Michelle L. Price (@michellelprice) April 7, 2025
Twitter: @michellelprice / x.com
8. Tuesday, April 8:
Likewise, people couldn't help but notice another mini renovation made in the main entry hall at the Department of Justice. During former administrations, portraits of the president, vice president, and attorney general hung on the wall. Now? It's just Trump.
View before and after photos here.
9. Tuesday, April 8:
Annnnnnnd we're back to tariffs. Unfortunately.
Earlier this week, Trump seemed to block out all of the resentment spreading online amid his global trade war and claimed other countries "are calling us up, kissing my ass," he said during the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). "They are dying to make a deal. 'Please, please, sir, make a deal. I'll do anything. I'll do anything, sir."
Trump: 'I'm telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass. They are dying to make a deal. 'Please, please, Sir, make a deal. I'll do anything. I'll do anything, sir.'
pic.twitter.com/gDCAXCKaPH
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 9, 2025
RSBN / Twitter: @RpsAgainstTrump
10. Tuesday, April 8:
During the NRCC, Trump was speaking on midterms when he made this bold claim: "I really think we're helped a lot by the tariff situation going on... It's going to be legendary. Legendary in a positive way."
Sure!!! https://t.co/1xgWoLzSqG
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) April 8, 2025
RSBN / Twitter: @Martina
11. Tuesday, April 8:
In an extremely odd move that reeks — in my opinion — of possible last-minute decision-making, Trump announced that he planned on implementing tariffs on pharmaceuticals. (Spoiler Alert: He later announced a 90-day pause on tariffs. So I guess this is up in the air for now.)
Regardless, in a Gallup survey, about one-third of aging Americans expressed concern over being able to afford prescription drugs. This was pre-tariffs, in 2024.
13. Wednesday, April 9: 90 day pause + 125% on china
Then, at 12:18 p.m. on that same day, he announced the authorization of a 90-day pause on tariffs — except for with regards to China, which got a tariff raise to 125%.
DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 9, 2025
Twitter: @WhiteHouse
15. Wednesday, April 9:
Speaking on the US's relationship with China and Biden's role in this relationship, Trump hypothetically asked, "How do you get to be president and you're stupid?"
This quote unleashed a fury of jokes from people who claim to ask themselves this same question every day.
We've been wondering this since 2016 Donald.
— SJI2783 (@sji2783) April 9, 2025
Fox News / Twitter: @sji2783
16. And finally, Thursday, April 10:
During a now-heavily-criticized cabinet meeting, Trump made several claims that experts have since shot back at. One claim was that the US "took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China" via tariffs, which fact-checking reporter Daniel Dale debunked.
'As many of our colleagues keep pointing out, because we have to, all that revenue was paid by US importers,' Dale said on CNN. 'And we know from study after study and just from talking to people in this country, most of those costs were passed on to US consumers.'
WELP! Let us know your thoughts on these events and whether you'd like to see more about Trump's administration as a whole in our next edition. See ya next week!
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A GOP divide is growing over Trump's redistricting play
A GOP divide is growing over Trump's redistricting play

Politico

timea few seconds ago

  • Politico

A GOP divide is growing over Trump's redistricting play

These strange divisions underscore the complex political dynamics of the president's latest power play. It's become a loyalty test that could boost Republicans' chances of keeping their trifecta in Washington, but one that also carries significant electoral risk for several of their own members in Congress and potential for broader voter backlash. Trump's team is barreling forward, bullish about having more opportunities to redraw maps across the states than Democrats and brushing off concerns as primarily coming from members whose seats are at risk. Administration officials and allies are working to fire up his base by noting that Democrats have already gerrymandered several states in their favor and have limited moves left to play. And MAGA online influencers like Steven Bannon and Charlie Kirk are encouraging their fans to jam Greg Abbott's phone lines so the Texas governor ratchets up pressure on quorum-breaking Democrats to return and let Republicans pass a new congressional map. But even that is showing some limits. 'Redistricting is not really an ideological exercise as much as a self-interest exercise,' California-based GOP strategist Rob Stutzman said. 'The safer you are and enjoy being in the majority, the more your self interest is 'lets see Texas get scrambled and if we sacrifice some colleagues from blue states, in California and New York, so be it.'' But for those more vulnerable Republicans, 'this poses a substantial risk to your career,' Stutzman said. And that's why some are reflecting at least a 'growing private sentiment of 'is this really worth it?'' A person familiar with the White House's thinking on redistricting and granted anonymity to describe it said 'we expect to have great success everywhere' if California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democratic governors attempt to retaliate. 'All of these members, they should just remain calm because they'll still be members,' the person said of the Republican lawmakers airing concerns. In Congress, House GOP leaders are trying to bridge the divide between the White House's 'maximum pressure' campaign to pad their majority, and the swath of GOP members who fear the gambit may backfire. Senior House Republicans have advised some rank and file GOP members to keep their concerns to private conversations, and not air criticisms in public.

Government data is now in question. Here's where macro investors are turning to fill the gaps.
Government data is now in question. Here's where macro investors are turning to fill the gaps.

Business Insider

timea few seconds ago

  • Business Insider

Government data is now in question. Here's where macro investors are turning to fill the gaps.

No savvy investor makes a decision off a single data point, but there are some numbers that carry more weight than others. For many macro investors, the North Star has long been the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unit within the Department of Labor that measures, among other things, inflation, unemployment rates, and wage growth. Those in charge of the BLS have long been non-partisan economists, but President Donald Trump's firing of Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1 and his top pick for her replacement, chief economist at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, EJ Antoni, have many concerned with the validity of future government data, especially as Antoni floated pausing monthly jobs reports. It's concerning for macro traders who rely on this data to make their bets, but there are non-governmental data sources that many already use. While helpful, these alternative databases can't replicate the widespread foundation BLS numbers provided for decades, where all market participants worked for the same set of basic facts about the state of the world's biggest economy. Still, traders are ramping up their use of this data in light of Trump's moves. "What's going to be tricky here is how to judge numbers coming out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics moving forward," said Andreas Steno Larsen, onetime macro investor and researcher, on his weekly podcast. He compared the firing to something that would happen "in Latin America" and predicted that investors would "look for alternative sources" to get a second opinion on the official data. Four macro investors pointed to the well-known ADP jobs report, which comes out monthly and tracks payroll from private employers, and MIT's Billion Prices Project as ways to track employment and inflation, respectively, in the US. The investors declined to be named because their firms don't authorize them to speak publicly. Some investors tap datasets that constantly scrape e-commerce prices, such as PriceStats, and track how different products rise and fall over time. This is a useful tool to understand Trump's tariff policies' impact, given the volume of online goods that US consumers buy from overseas. Payroll and scheduling company Homebase tracks more than 150,000 small businesses and produces monthly employment reports. LinkUp has tracked online job postings since 2007. Numerator has become a key source for in-person consumer data at places such as restaurants and home improvement stores. "Given the recent BLS conversations, we've recently seen demand for our data increase," Homebase CEO John Waldmann said in a statement. Not a replacement These alternative data sources are just that — alternative. They were used to get a sneak peek or a deeper look at inflation or unemployment figures that the government would release, not replace them entirely. They also sometimes vary. For example, ADP's payroll figures often diverge from the BLS's monthly jobs report, and MIT's Billion Prices Project can capture inflation trends sooner than the official CPI but is less comprehensive. "We don't see them replacing economic statistics altogether in the near future," said Julie Meigh, the head of ESG & macro research at alt-data platform Neudata, about non-traditional datasets. Even if BLS data becomes less trustworthy, the different macro investors who spoke with Business Insider said they'll still need to use it in some fashion unless there's a structural change in financial products. For example, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, change when the Consumer Price Index from the government is announced. For those who have exposure to these types of assets, ignoring the BLS is not possible even if the data becomes untrustworthy. As one trader at one of the world's biggest macro hedge funds said, he was surprised markets weren't more spooked by Trump's firing. Equity markets were near record highs, and bond yields stayed mostly steady. "I think it's clear that institutions are not as strong as many had thought," this individual said.

The GOP's redistricting dissenters
The GOP's redistricting dissenters

Politico

time7 minutes ago

  • Politico

The GOP's redistricting dissenters

IN TODAY'S EDITION:— These Republicans say it's the wrong time for redistricting— Shutdown talks look bleaker by the day— First in IC: Crypto targets Sherrod Brown again President Donald Trump's mid-decade redistricting push is running into serious concerns from some GOP factions, Lisa Kashinsky and Meredith Lee Hill report. Plenty are backing the president's gambit to protect the GOP's House majority. But a growing number of Republicans are airing their qualms publicly: — Blue-state lawmakers: These are among the loudest GOP defectors. Democratic governors are threatening to redraw or outright erase their districts in retaliation for Trump. New York Rep. Mike Lawler blasted the Texas redistricting effort as 'wrong,' while California Rep. Doug LaMalfa said it would 'start a grass fire across the country.' House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, the Maryland delegation's lone Republican, said his party 'should probably shy away from mid-cycle redistricting.' — The wrong-timing crew: Some GOP resistance is centered on the timing of the redraws. Utah Rep. Blake Moore, who previously co-chaired an anti-gerrymandering group, called redistricting outside of the usual 10-year, Census-driven cadence 'a step too far.' And Florida Rep. Randy Fine isn't sure how it could legally be done in his state given a law prohibiting lawmakers from redrawing the map to help incumbents or a particular party. California Rep. Kevin Kiley, who's spearheading a bill to ban mid-decade gerrymandering, insisted in an interview that there's a 'very strong majority for taking our foot off the accelerator on this.' — Govs on the fence: While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing full steam ahead at Trump's behest — with Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe seemingly ready to follow suit — others are hesitant. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been noncommittal even after the White House's pressure campaign. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte ruled out pursuing any changes because 'the timing is off.' Nonetheless, Trump's team is determined to steamroll over the internal criticism, believing their party has the upper hand in an all-out redistricting battle. The GOP is angling for 10 additional seats across Ohio, Texas, Missouri and Indiana — and even more through Florida, though any new map wouldn't be ready in time for 2026. Democrats, meanwhile, are looking at adding five new blue-leaning seats in California, plus more in Maryland, New York and beyond. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING. Email us: crazor@ cdumay@ and bguggenheim@ THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Funding problems pile up The chances of Trump coming to an agreement with Democratic congressional leaders in September to keep the government open are looking bleaker by the day. Trump told reporters Wednesday he'd meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the issue, but said 'it's almost a waste of time.' 'They never approve anything,' Trump said. 'They are led by insane people. … I don't believe that anybody is capable of making a deal with these people.' 'I call it a waste of leadership for Trump to have no plan to lower costs for hardworking Americans, or stop cuts to health care, veterans, and Social Security,' Schumer fired back on X. Meanwhile, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals handed Trump a win Wednesday as he moves to 'impound' — that is, refuse to spend — congressionally approved funds. Humanitarian groups cannot challenge the president's impoundment of foreign aid grants, the court ruled. Under federal law, that role is limited to the U.S. comptroller general, who leads the Government Accountability Office. GAO monitors how the federal government spends congressional appropriations. The administration's impoundments have been a sore spot in Congress' negotiations over government funding. Trump's DC takeover poised for clash with Congress Trump's plan to keep Washington police under federal control could be on a collision course with Schumer and Senate Democrats. The president said Wednesday he'll ask lawmakers to pass 'long-term extensions' so he can maintain control over city law enforcement beyond the Home Rule Act's 30-day limit. Those extensions could be filibustered by Senate Democrats. But as Gigi Ewing reports, Trump also said during a Kennedy Center event that he's willing to bypass Congress. 'If it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress,' Trump said. 'If I have to, I will.' Separately, House Freedom Caucus Rep. Andy Ogles said Wednesday he'd introduce an amendment to the Home Rule Act to allow Trump to 'extend this emergency as long as it takes.' That proposal would also require some Democratic support to pass through the Senate, and Schumer recently characterized the police takeover as nothing but 'a political ploy and attempted distraction from Trump's other scandals.' Sen. Lindsey Graham also announced Wednesday the White House 'is working on a package' to fund Trump's Washington efforts that he and Sen. Katie Britt will shepherd through Congress. It's unclear what would be included and whether it would be part of any government funding process, or if Graham would try to move it as a standalone bill. POLICY RUNDOWN MORE HEALTH CARE CUTS IN MEGABILL 2.0? — Brian Blase of the Paragon Health Institute, one of the chief proponents of undertaking sweeping health care cuts in the first GOP megabill, will address House staffers at a 10 a.m. Republican Study Committee briefing on potential policies for a second party-line package, Benjamin and Meredith scooped. Republicans are expected to discuss the expiration of enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act premiums and proposed changes to Medicare Advantage, among other policies. Demetrios Kouzoukas, director of Paragon's Medicare Reform Initiative, and Gabrielle Minarik, a program manager, will also brief attendees. Benjamin and Meredith also report that GOP leadership asked committee chairs before August recess to compile a list of potential policies and pay-fors to include in a second party-line bill. However, one person close to leadership noted there's no set timeline yet on getting the asks together. 'On one hand they are starting the process,' the person told Benjamin. On the other hand, the ask 'reflects that they don't really know what the second package would look like yet.' PRESSURE GROWS AROUND A STOCK TRADING BAN — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Wednesday for a ban on single-stock trading by members of Congress, Gregory Svirnovskiy and Meredith report. It's just the latest development that could force Republican leaders to take action on the issue, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna also saying this week that she plans to compel a vote in September on legislation that would ban congressional stock trading. Luna wants to move legislation by Rep. Tim Burchett through a discharge petition, which would require the signatures of a majority of members of the House to force a floor vote. But petitions are highly frowned upon by the majority party's leaders, and Johnson is already staring down the barrel of another discharge petition this fall from Rep. Thomas Massie on the Jeffrey Epstein files. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has struggled to resolve differences between several competing stock ban bills, including legislation from Reps. Chip Roy and Seth Magaziner. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: THE BEST OF THE REST With midterms more than a year away, a record number of lawmakers are eyeing the exits, from Stephen Fowler at NPR Maryland Congress members visited ICE again. This time they got in, from Brenda Wintrode at The Baltimore Banner THE CARRYOUT A recess spotlight on lawmakers' Capitol Hill food recs For Sen. Ben Ray Luján, it depends on the mood. 'I get a chicken noodle soup heavy on the broth from Dirksen with a salad,' Luján said. 'If I'm feeling adventurous, then I'll get a grilled cheese with tomato bisque.' What's your go-to Hill lunch when you're feeling adventurous? Email crazor@ CODEL CORNER CODEL TO COLOMBIA — Sens. Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno will be in Colombia Thursday and Friday. The first two Colombian-Americans elected to the Senate are visiting to 'strengthen bilateral relations' and discuss 'organized crime, the business climate and China's growing influence on the country.' CAMPAIGN STOP FIRST IN INSIDE CONGRESS: SHERROD BROWN STILL HAS A CRYPTO PROBLEM — The crypto industry super PAC that spent more than $40 million to defeat Sherrod Brown in 2024 is once again a looming cloud over his comeback bid for Ohio's Senate seat. Fairshake has replenished its war chest with more than $140 million ahead of 2026, and it's signaling Brown could be a target, Jasper Goodman reports this morning. 'Last year, voters sent a clear message that the Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren agenda was deeply out of touch with Ohio values,' spokesperson Josh Vlasto said in a statement to Jasper. Brown — who outran Kamala Harris by more than seven points in the state last year — is seen as Democrats' best chance to win back the Ohio seat. The threat from cryptocurrency companies is the latest sign of how the industry has come to play an outsized role in American politics. MORE MEGABILL PROTESTS — Republican lawmakers continue to face angry crowds and tough questioning from constituents while they're home over August recess. Protesters interrupted events hosted by LaMalfa and Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota this week to criticize the GOP megabill. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sen. Bill Hagerty … Rep. Mark Pocan … former Reps. Tom Campbell and Robin Hayes (8-0) … Lynne Cheney … Tim Carney of the Washington Examiner and AEI … POLITICO's Peter Canellos … Erik Sperling … Dan Sena of Sena Kozar Strategies … David Ellis … WaPo's Lori Montgomery … Paige Decker … White House's Paige Willey … Josh Freed … BGR Group's Bill Viney … Matt Lauer of Qorvis … Eric Wohlschlegel … Sean Miles of the Mayfair Group … Jessica Pavel … Denise Feriozzi of the Pipeline Fund TRIVIA WEDNESDAY'S ANSWER: Kent Watkins correctly answered that Grover Cleveland attempted to retract the original treaty annexing Hawaii. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Kent: Under which president did the inauguration date change from March to January 20, and which three presidents held theirs on the 21st instead? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store