March 30, 2025 - Donald Trump presidency news

Elon Musk handed out $1 million checks to two attendees at a Sunday event in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he warned the “future of civilization” hinged on the state’s Supreme Court race and urged voters to back the conservative candidate.

The appearance was his latest foray into a contest in which he’s invested millions of his own fortune. In the closing weeks of the campaign, Musk and his super PAC, America PAC, have reprised controversial tactics used in the 2024 election, including the $1 million cash giveaways.

Musk said he was handing out the checks “in appreciation” to two individuals, Nicholas Jacobs and Ekaterina Diestler, who signed a petition against “activist judges.”

The move came hours after the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear state Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to stop Musk from doling out the checks.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear state Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to stop Elon Musk and his super PAC from offering two $1 million giveaways to attendees at an event in Green Bay tonight.

The unanimous decision from the court came just minutes before Musk’s event was scheduled to begin. The event, which has drawn several hundred people, is delayed due to long lines of attendees snaking outside the convention center.

The tech billionaire has injected himself into the state’s high-stakes Supreme Court race and announced Friday that he would travel to Wisconsin on Sunday to name the winners of million-dollar giveaways orchestrated by his super PAC, America PAC, reprising a controversial tactic he used in last year’s election.

Kaul, a Democrat, announced Friday that he planned to take legal action against Musk’s PAC and seek a court order halting the cash giveaways, set to be awarded to signers of a petition aimed at collecting voter data and boosting turnout.

In the hours before the decision, attorneys for Musk asked that two justices who have supported the liberal candidate in the race — Rebecca Frank Dallet and Jill J. Karofsky — recuse themselves from hearing the case. Dallet and Karofsky rejected the request.

The mother of an 11-year-old Texas girl who died by suicide last month after bullying due to her family’s immigration status briefly addressed a pro-immigration rally Sunday, calling for reform to the country’s immigration system and telling a crowd in Dallas to not let her daughter’s death be in vain.

“It’s sad to remember my daughter, especially given the way things happened,” Marbella Carranza told a crowd in Spanish in front of City Hall on Sunday afternoon.

Her daughter, Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, died on February 8, five days after her mother found her unresponsive at home in Gainesville, Texas, about 70 miles north of Dallas. CNN previously reported that Marbella Carranza said Jocelynn was bullied and taunted at school over her family’s immigration status.

Carranza told the crowd she had never participated in a march before, but said she believed “it’s important we fight for this cause,” especially after “everything my daughter went through.”

“And that’s why I’m joining this cause,” she said. “Because I believe we all deserve immigration reform.”

She asked the community to “keep fighting, to keep united for this cause, and that my daughter’s death not be in vain.”

Her remarks were preceded by a large march through the streets of downtown Dallas demanding immigration reform. Organizers hoped the event would be one of the largest acts of public dissent against President Donald Trump’s administration during his second term.

Ahead of Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Court race this week, President Trump took to social media Sunday to urge his followers to vote for the conservative candidate, Judge Brad Schimel.

“Wisconsin Values are perfectly represented by Brad Schimel. He is Conservative, Strong and, above all, SANE,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

The president went on to publicly criticize the liberal candidate, Judge Susan Crawford.

“His Opponent is a Liberal Lunatic who will throw our Country, and the State of Wisconsin, into TOTAL CHAOS. Vote for Brad Schimel!” added Trump, who was featured in a telephone town hall hosted by Schimel last week.

The challenge presents an early test of swing state reaction to Trump’s presidency, as CNN previously reported.

Musk’s event: The president’s post comes as his close ally Elon Musk is set to host an event tonight in Green Bay, where the tech billionaire has said he will “hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen” for a petition against “activist judges.” Musk is flexing his growing political influence in the race after his key supporting role in Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Rep. Victoria Spartz speaks at a town hall in the Indianapolis suburb of Westfield, Indiana, on Friday.

GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz on Sunday claimed recent town halls — where she faced anger from Indiana voters over her support for the Trump administration — were subject to an “organized ambush” by Democratic activists.

“This town hall, which should be part of the process for us to communicate with our constituents and have dialogue, became really an organized ambush by Democrats and a lot of radical groups to push a false narrative that Republicans are doing something wrong,” Spartz told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.

Angry constituents express themselves during Friday's town hall in Westfield.

Spartz also claimed the protesters’ “actions were very violent.”

Videos showed attendees getting emotional at her town halls on Friday in Westfield and on Saturday in Muncie, with one woman who interrupted the Saturday town hall escorted out by police. But there were no reports of violence from either event.

Pressed on whether she’s disputing that attendees were constituents, Spartz doubled down: “This is organized by Democrats that did a lot of social media posts.”

The big picture: Republican lawmakers across the country have faced a tough reception at an increasing number of town halls, where voters have voiced their displeasure with President Donald Trump’s actions during his first 100 days in office.

Democrats have also faced riled-up crowds over what constituents say is a lack of sufficient resistance.

A crowd of people appearing to number in the thousands marched through downtown Dallas today to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and demand the release of several students who have been detained by immigration officials across the country.

Demonstrators carried American flags, which protest organizers had encouraged as a gesture of unity and patriotism. The crowd stretched several blocks through downtown Dallas as marchers trekked from a cathedral to City Hall, where they gathered in front of a pre-set stage.

Several protesters carried signs specifically referencing Mahmoud Khalil, Khan Suri and Rumeysa Ozturk, all foreign national students at prestigious US universities arrested for what the Trump administration claims were activities related to terrorist organizations.

After reaching city hall, the crowd recited the pledge of allegiance, and a mariachi performer led the group in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Hector Flores, a past national president of the League of United Latin American citizens, told the sprawling crowd, “Latinos are the backbone of this great state.”

Rep. Al Green in Dallas on Sunday.

Hundreds of people have gathered in front of a Dallas cathedral Sunday afternoon ahead of a pro-immigration march that organizers hope will be one of the largest acts of public dissent against President Donald Trump’s administration during his second term.

The march, organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens, is expected to cut a more than mile-long path through downtown Dallas before ending in front of Dallas City Hall.

Marchers were encouraged to carry American flags and wear white to symbolize peace and unity.

People attend a pro-immigration march in Dallas on Sunday.

Ahead of the march, Democratic Rep. Al Green joined several protesters in singing Spanish-language folk songs. Green has become a lodestar for progressive opposition to Trump’s policies since he interrupted the president’s joint address to Congress and was removed from US Capitol chambers earlier this month.

Organizers are hoping for more than 10,000 protesters to join the march, but acknowledged that Trump’s continued efforts to stifle dissent may prevent many people — especially those still in the process of attaining citizenship — from wanting to join a public protest.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said he’s hopeful President Donald Trump’s 25% auto tariffs will bring manufacturing jobs to the US, but he expressed “great concerns” about the Trump administration’s actions more broadly.

The president took his most consequential action against federal employee unions yet last Thursday, signing an executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining for government employees whose work includes national security aspects.

Fain called the recent action “despicable,” adding that it has impacted 700,000 federal workers.

Fain said, however, that he’s hopeful Trump’s tariffs on imported cars and auto parts will bring jobs to the US, and said even the threat of tariffs has started making some manufacturers consider moving back to the country.

But the union head said bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US doesn’t mean anything if there’s no guarantee of livable wages, Medicaid, free speech and collective bargaining.

Some background: Fain was one of the most prominent union leaders backing Vice President Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election.

Despite his opposition to many Trump policies, Fain applauded Trump’s auto tariff announcement last week, saying the president was “stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades.”

Elon Musk meets with Senate Republicans in the US Capitol building on March 5, in Washington, DC.

Elon Musk, who has injected himself into Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Court race, is set to hold an event in the state tonight, even as a legal battle brews over his actions in the Badger State.

Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has asked the state Supreme Court to block Musk and his super PAC from offering $1 million awards to voters at this evening’s town hall in Green Bay, according to a new court filing.

How we got here: Musk has said he will “hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen” for a petition against “activist judges.” But that’s after the tech billionaire deleted an earlier version of the post, in which he had written he would give the checks “in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.”

Kaul said last week that he was suing Musk and his organization on grounds that the giveaways violated state election law.

Where things stand: An appeals court on Saturday denied the attorney general’s initial request, so Kaul is now asking the state Supreme Court, where liberals hold a 4-3 majority, to intervene before the event’s 6:30 p.m. local start time (7:30 p.m. ET).

Let’s zoom out for a second: This race is garnering so much attention because it will decide ideological control of the high court, and also serve as a potential bellwether for how voters are receiving President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Musk has loomed large, both by injecting millions into the race — alongside other megadonors for both sides — and as a prominent target for attacks by supporters of the liberal candidate, Judge Susan Crawford.

While the conservative candidate, Judge Brad Schimel, has enthusiastically embraced President Donald Trump’s endorsement, he sought to downplay Musk’s involvement Sunday, telling Fox News he doesn’t control outside spending and he’s not “running for anything for Elon Musk or any other person.”

President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump did not dismiss the idea of pursuing a third term in the White House, despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution prohibiting it, claiming in an interview that “there are methods” for achieving this and emphasizing he was “not joking.”

“A lot of people would like me to do that. But, I mean, I basically tell them, we have a long way to go,” Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News that published Sunday. “I’m focused on the current,” he added, referring to his current administration.

The term-limited president has teased a third presidency time and time again.

Remember: Trump said at a rally in Nevada in late January, “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve, not once but twice or three times or four times.”

He later added: “No, it will be to serve twice. For the next four years, I will not rest.”

Weeks later, Trump asked supporters, “Should I run again?” at a Black History Month event at the White House, to chants of “Four more years!”

The fallout from the now-infamous Signal group chat about plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen continues to reverberate, days after The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he had been added to the chain.

On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he believed Israel has “a right to be this mad about classified information being treated sloppily” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” His comments came in response to reporting that Israeli officials were upset about the lack of operational security in a group chat regarding one of their regional foes.

Rep. Mike Turner, a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday he believes the details on strikes in Yemen “should be considered classified,” but suggested a watchdog investigation will assess whether Trump administration officials declassified the information.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s Republican chair and top Democrat formally requested an investigation into the chat, but it’s unclear whether a probe will happen.

Separately, Republican Sen. James Lankford said “it’s entirely appropriate” for the Pentagon inspector general to investigate how Goldberg was added to the chat and it wasn’t necessary for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign.

Meanwhile Goldberg defended himself, dismissing suggestions from national security adviser Mike Waltz that his number had been somehow “sucked in” to the chat.

“My phone number was in his phone because my phone number is in his phone,” Goldberg said in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles are seen at the Port of Baltimore on March 27.

Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington, who chairs the House Budget Committee, defended President Donald Trump’s plan for new auto tariffs Sunday, arguing they could provide a “reset” to markets.

Trump last week announced 25% tariffs on all cars shipped to the United States, a significant escalation in his global trade war that would go into effect April 3.

In an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Arrington argued that auto markets need a “reset” in order for the US to compete more evenly with foreign companies, and said there’s no way to reach a reciprocal trade agreement “without the tough negotiation tactics of President Trump.”

Asked if Congress would count on tariff revenue to offset Trump’s proposed tax cuts, Arrington said lawmakers should focus on reducing spending overall, but added that some of the revenue could be used to help reduce the initial “sting” of reciprocal tariffs.

The Texas lawmaker called the idea “tariff relief,” and compared it to how the first Trump administration provided “market facilitation payments” to farmers in his state during the early stages of trade battles.

Arrington emphasized again, however, that the US needs to reduce its deficit by spending less.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump sent a striking warning to Iran of possible bombings and secondary tariffs if the Islamic Republic does not reach an agreement with the United States over its nuclear program.

Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected negotiations with the US over its fast-advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s first response to a letter Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader.

Trump also mentioned the possibility of reimposing economic pressure, similar to his past actions.

“There’s a chance that if they don’t make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago,” Trump told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.

During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, a pact that imposed strict limitations on Tehran’s contentious nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Donald Trump says he is “pissed off” with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, telling NBC News in a phone interview Sunday that he could impose additional tariffs on Russian oil if Putin doesn’t cooperate in ongoing negotiations to end his war in Ukraine.

Trump referred to Putin discussing the need, in his view, for new leadership in Ukraine.

“But new leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time, right?” Trump said.

The US president warned that failure to reach a deal could result in secondary tariffs.

“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” he said.

Asked if he would talk to Putin this week if the Russian leader “does the right thing,” Trump said, “Yeah.” He also told Welker that Putin is aware he is angry.

Trump’s sharply critical tone stands in stark contrast to his own words on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his own calls for elections for the war-torn country.

One of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers declined to say Sunday how many countries would be targeted by the president’s promised reciprocal tariffs this week and suggested the plans remain fluid.

“President Trump is going to decide how many countries,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo.

Hassett appeared to indicate the president has not made any final decisions:

Getting up to speed? Uncertainty still surrounds the tariffs Trump has vowed to announce April 2, and the president’s trade war has been subject to constant whiplash. Catch up here.

On Trump’s tax plan: Hassett also expressed confidence that congressional Republicans will be able to pass the president’s tax plan, highlighting Trump’s proposed provisions for no taxes on Social Security, tips or overtime pays.

Hassett predicted the plan could pass as soon as this summer.

Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg is standing by his explanation of how he ended up in a Signal group chat created by national security adviser Mike Waltz last week to discuss secret attack plans.

Waltz said Wednesday that Goldberg’s number got “sucked in” to his phone, while trying to explain how the journalist got added to the chat.

“You know, very frequently in journalism, the most obvious explanation is the explanation. My phone number was in his phone because my phone number is in his phone. He’s telling everyone that he’s never met me or spoken to me. That’s simply not true.”

Goldberg also shared his thoughts on the Vice President JD Vance’s role in the Signal group chat, expressing that he found the conversation to be “very fraught” as he read it in real-time.

New polling: Meanwhile, a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday finds Americans say, 76% to 24%, that it was not appropriate for members of the Trump administration to discuss military plans over Signal.

While most Republicans describe the matter as at least somewhat serious, the poll finds that it “isn’t adversely affecting Republicans in their overall evaluation” of President Donald Trump.

Vehicles are seen at the Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Preparation Center at the Port of Baltimore, where new Mercedes-Benz vehicle imports are processed before distribution to dealerships, on Thursday.

“Trust in Trump”: That’s the message from the White House to Americans concerned about tariffs ahead of April 2.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly proclaimed that date “Liberation Day,” when he says he’ll unveil massive reciprocal tariffs that match foreign countries’ import taxes dollar-for-dollar on a variety of products.

“Tariffs are tax cuts, tariffs are jobs, tariffs are national security, tariffs are great for Americans. Tariffs will make America great again,” White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”

But with the mid-week deadline fast approaching, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the president’s plans:

Recent whiplash: As he has demonstrated before, Trump’s “Liberation Day” could still turn into yet another tariff retreat, and administration officials have reportedly tried to tamp down expectations that every pledged tariff action will go into effect this week.

Trump himself has sent mixed signals: He said early last week that he “may give a lot of countries breaks” on the tariffs, before making remarks yesterday and on Friday that while he’s open to deals for other countries, those would come only after his April 2 announcements.

The auto tariffs: Trump already announced last week that a new 25% tariff on all cars shipped to the US would take effect overnight Wednesday into Thursday. It will also begin to include car parts from other countries “no later than May 3,” according to the administration.

Here’s an idea of how much it could impact the cost of your next car.

Market unease: Trump’s decision to announce the tariffs on autos ahead of the April 2 deadline caused further unease in financial markets to end the week. US stocks tumbled Friday and a broad selloff gripped Wall Street, driven in part by tariff anxiety, but also slightly stubborn inflation data and weakening consumer sentiment.

Sen. James Lankford speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on January 29.

Republican Sen. James Lankford said he’d support the Pentagon inspector general investigating last week’s Signal chat debacle, and looking into why national security officials used the platform to discuss attack plans in the first place.

Lankford said there are two issues the independent watchdog should examine: “One is how to report or get in this conversation. And the second one is, how do members of the administration talk to each other when they’re on the road on things that are clearly timely.”

Republican lawmakers have grappled with how to respond to the incident, which saw The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief included on a chain describing strikes against Houthi rebels.

Earlier this week, the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Republican chair and top Democrat formally requested an inquiry. But several Republicans on the same committee insisted it’s “time to move on,” arguing it won’t happen again and that Trump officials have learned from their mistakes.

Lankford on Sunday said he did not think Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sharing specific details about the military operation was “much of an issue,” because Hegseth believed he was in a “closed circle of conversation.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore attends a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation event in September 2024 in Washington, DC.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland slammed President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution — a sprawling organization that encompasses the National Zoo and a collection of museums that anchor tourism in the nation’s capital.

Moore called it “deeply disrespectful that their definition of making America great again is actually challenging some of the things that make America great in the first place,” in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history” or “diminishing those who have helped make this country so powerful and make America so unique in world history in the first place,” the governor said.

Some context: The order put Vice President JD Vance in charge of stopping government spending on “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”

In particular, the order appears crafted to direct museums to soften or distort forthright discussions about the history and impact of racism in the United States. It follows similar orders that seek to exert the president’s will over law firms and educational institutions.

Moore recalled his 2023 swearing-in as governor, when he talked about his experience of marching from the docks in Annapolis, Maryland, to the State House as the state’s first Black governor: “That’s not indoctrination, that’s history.”

CNN’s Michael Williams contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, in Washington, DC.

We have a fresh slate of reads for your Sunday morning, with the latest on President Donald Trump’s first 100 days after another eventful week for the administration.

Click on the links below to read more:

• Defining DOGE: Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has spawned dozens of lawsuits in its effort to shrink the federal government. The question of whether DOGE is actually a government agency could have major legal ramifications.

• Trump on auto tariffs: Trump said yesterday that he doesn’t care if automakers hike prices because of his tariffs, which are set to be imposed at mid-week. In fact, he encouraged them to.

• The president’s retribution: Trump is using the power of the federal government to punish potential sources of opposition, from the legal establishment to academia, media, Democrats and beyond. They’re struggling to respond.

• Democrat channels Trump outrage: Jon Ossoff, the nation’s most endangered Senate Democrat, sees a path for reelection in a state the president won in 2024. He plans to go all out against Trump.

• Marriage and birth rates in red states: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is using his Cabinet position to pursue a long-stated priority: Incentivizing marriage and birth rates. His policy moves could benefit pro-Trump areas.

• Europe awakes from military slumber: Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s dressing-down of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House early this month may have awoken European leaders to their self-defense needs in the Trump era.