Trump triggers upheaval at Pentagon as top general pushed out and DOGE staff cuts to hit thousands: Live updates

Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley confronted stinging backlash this week for calling out President Donald Trump’s latest therapy of Ukraine, as social media commenters rushed to remind her she endorsed him.

Haley known as Trump’s feedback within the submit “basic Russian speaking factors,” and “precisely what Putin needs.”

Democratic California Consultant Eric Swalwell fired again on X to ask Haley: “Why did you assist him win?”

Michelle Del Rey reviews.

The New York Instances reviews that the Trump administration is pushing forward with plans to detain undocumented immigrants at army websites all through the USA, representing a serious growth of efforts to make the most of wartime assets to speed up promised mass deportations.

President Donald Trump’s group is establishing a deportation hub at Fort Bliss, close to El Paso, Texas, which might ultimately accommodate as much as 10,000 undocumented immigrants as they undergo the method of being deported, three officers accustomed to the plan instructed the Instances.

Fort Bliss would function a mannequin because the administration goals to develop extra detention amenities on army websites throughout the nation — from Utah to the world close to Niagara Falls.

The officers mentioned these amenities might probably maintain hundreds extra individuals and fill an area shortfall at Immigration and Customs Enforcement amenities. They spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the plan is in its early phases and has not been finalized.

Trump mentioned on the marketing campaign path he meant to rely much more on the army to detain individuals for deportation.

John Bowden reviews from the Conservative Political Motion Convention in Nationwide Harbor, Maryland, and finds that the glitz of Trumpworld can solely paper over a lot.

The Pentagon introduced on Friday that it will minimize 5,400 jobs as a part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to scale back the federal workforce, a day after some Republican lawmakers confronted jeers from voters again residence who’re pissed off with this aggressive effort.

The cuts, set to happen subsequent week, characterize a small portion of the 50,000 Protection Division job losses that some had anticipated, however they is probably not the final. One senior official, Darin Selnick, famous that the Pentagon plans to implement a hiring freeze and will in the end shrink its civilian workforce, which at the moment stands at 950,000, by 5% to eight%.

These cuts are the newest in a quickly evolving overhaul led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. This overhaul has resulted within the layoff of over 20,000 staff and the dismantling of packages throughout the U.S. authorities, from overseas assist to monetary oversight.

With reporting from Reuters

Armed males in masks are reportedly patrolling the streets of Cincinnati’s Lincoln Heights neighborhood after a neo-Nazi group demonstrated within the space earlier this month.

The armed civilians are reportedly participating in additional than simply an ordinary watch over their neighborhood, in keeping with the Cincinnati Enquirer. The masked males have stopped automobiles, turned drivers away from the neighborhood, and have allegedly threatened to shoot a property proprietor.

They’re reportedly defending the world from neo-Nazi activists, however their ways have rattled some residents.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

On MSNBC, Rachel Maddow has been compiling incidents of residents confronting Republican lawmakers over their issues about what has unfolded within the first month of the Trump administration.

Congressman Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin confronted a hostile crowd of voters at a city corridor with constituents — mirroring that of his colleague in Georgia yesterday.

They don’t seem impressed with the work of DOGE.

Right here’s Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma additionally having a tricky time in regards to the VA:

And right here’s Rep. Glenn Grotham of Wisconsin getting booed for suggesting Donald Trump has carried out “some excellent issues”… and the gang will not be a fan of eliminating birthright citizenship.

Elon Musk is on a campaign towards authorities spending. Except, apparently, it may him.

“If motion will not be taken to curb the deficit, America is in serious trouble. No totally different than an individual who will get into an excessive amount of debt,” mentioned the DOGE boss on his social community X in December.

But in keeping with federal information analyzed by The Unbiased, Musk’s personal firms have been promised or awarded practically $21 billion by the U.S. authorities since 2008.

The money was nonetheless flowing as of Feb 17, with one other $76.7 million promised since Donald Trump’s inauguration.

So how a lot of cash is the American taxpayer forking over to every of Musk’s firms, and what’s all of it for?

Based on an individual with data of the discussions, new FBI Director Kash Patel has instructed senior officers that he plans to relocate as much as 1,000 workers from Washington to area workplaces across the nation and a further 500 to a bureau facility in Huntsville, Alabama.

The plans had been outlined on Friday, coinciding with Patel’s swearing-in on the White Home, and align together with his repeated imaginative and prescient of minimizing the FBI’s presence in Washington whereas enhancing its workplaces in different cities.

Rep Jason Crow of Colorado posted his issues on X about why the purge of Decide Advocates Common on the Division of Protection can also be deeply troubling.

The congressman writes: “The purge of senior officers at DOD is deeply troubling, however purging JAG officers worries me essentially the most.

“JAG officers interpret regulation for our commanders. They assist decide what’s lawful and constitutional.

“Changing these army attorneys with trump loyalists is so harmful.”

Josh Marcus has the main points.