As another work week of Trump 2.0 comes to end there is a feeling, at least for me, that at some point something has got to give. The administration continued to make decisions that fall under one of the two themes that seems to be driving their actions: abject cruelty against those who are seen as either inferior or enemies and eliminating aspects of the government that prevent Elon Musk and Trump from filling their coffers to the point of excess. However, there seems to be three more themes that have come to light over the last few weeks: sheer incompetence, punishing of attempting to punish anyone who dares to critique Trump or the administration, and an almost fanatical devotion to Vladimir Putin that has to be making Ronald Reagan look like Simone Biles in his grave. 

Anyway, without being said here is the week that was:

A federal judge blocked a Trump executive order that threatened funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth. 

It was reported that nearly 40% of the contracts cancelled by Elon Musk’s DOGE produced no savings. 

Pressured the Romanian government to allow Andrew Tate and his brother to return to the United States. The Tates are alleged groomers, rapists, and sex traffickers who have hosted a podcast supporting Trump. 

Appointed Alice Marie Johnson his “pardon czar.”

FBI director Kash Patel announced his desire to form a partnership between the FBI and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). 

A federal judge ruled Trump’s firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency was illegal.  

Signed an executive order forcing hospitals to be transparent with their pricing. 

It is being reported that FAA officials have been ordered to find funding for Elon Musk’s Starlink. 

The US Department of Education launched a website that allows any community member to report any school/college/university or teacher for any DEI related activity in their institution or classroom. 

Announced the exploration of plans for Russian sanctions relief. 

Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon will halt offensive cyber operations against Russia. 

Posted on Truth Social that all colleges, schools, or universities that allow “illegal protests” on their campus will lose federal funding. The post also stated that “agitators” will be imprisoned or permanently deported if they are immigrants or permanently expelled and/or arrested if they are Americans. 

Signed an executive order bypassing the Endangered Species Act to clear cut 280 million acres of national forests and public lands. 

The Dow closed down 650 points on March 4th while the S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, erasing post-election gains. 

The Supreme Court ruled it would not let Trump withhold payments to foreign aid groups. 

Announced plans to cut VA employees. 

Confirmed the United States held direct talks with Hamas over Gaza hostages. 

Claimed in his speech before a joint session of congress that the government spent $8 million on “making mice transgender.” In reality the money was spent on cancer and asthma research that utilized transgenic mice (mice whose DNA was altered by being injected with the DNA of another species). 

Announced intent to deport 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Ukraine due to the conflict with Russia. 

Elon Musk announced intentions to privatize the United States Postal Service and Amtrak. 

Announced the lifting of tariffs off products from Mexico and Canada for four weeks. 

Announced plans for a “Crypto Strategic Reserve” that would set up the United States to buy and sell cryptocurrency. 

The Department of Homeland Security announced it was ending a collective bargaining agreement with tens of thousands of TSA employees. 

The Pentagon began purging their databases of content “related” to DEI initiatives. This included the deletion of photographs of the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, due to the presence of the word “gay.”

Cancelled $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University over antisemitism allegations. 

Announced Trump will lead the task force preparing for the 2026 World Cup. 

China announced it will retaliate against the United States imposition of tariffs dollar for dollar and is ready to engage the US in “any form of warfare.”

Ordered pause on US military aid to Ukraine. 

A Look at the Economy:

Consumer confidence in Feb posted its biggest drop since 2021.

Pending home sales dropped to the lowest level on record.

Weekly jobless claims jumped 26%, much higher than expected.

Egg prices hit an all-time average high of $4.95 per dozen. The USDA expects egg prices to increase by 41% in 2025 due to unchecked bird flu.

S&P 500 and NASDAQ both entered negative territory for the year.

S&P 500 has fallen 2.5% in the past month, NASDAQ down 4.1% in the past month.