Co-host: Morning Joe, MSNBC Contributing Writer: The Atlantic Author: "The Big Lie." Ex-AP, Politico, NY Daily News. Dad, Mr. Carrie Melago, Red Sox fan
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Anchorage wasn’t Helsinki. For that, Europe can be grateful. Trump didn’t give away Ukrainian land to Russia or demand that Zelensky take a bad deal, at least immediately But Putin got a high-profile summit and, most of all, more time to continue his war www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Putin sported the better body language: He almost glowed as he spoke to the press, And, oddly, he got to speak first, even though Trump was host Trump, in contrast, seemed subdued, only perking up when Putin suggested that their next summit be in Moscow www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: So what was that all for? Trump emerged from his summit with Putin without a deal and without much to say Stunningly, for a president who loves a press conference, he took no questions. Instead, he left Alaska empty-handed www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The White House announced the two men would not have a one-on-one meeting But here, in the backseat of the Beast, Putin had his time alone with Trump As the limousine drove off the tarmac to the summit site, Putin could be seen in a rear window laughing www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: So what was that all for? Trump emerged from his summit with Putin without a deal and without much to say. Stunningly, for a president who loves a press conference, he took no questions. Instead, he left Alaska empty-handed www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has made clear that he wants peace. He also wants a Nobel Peace Prize. The situation in Gaza is deteriorating and Trump has not stood up to Netanyahu. So, he sees an opportunity with Ukraine www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Putin has already won. He is the leader of a rogue state, and he’ll get a picture on U.S. soil with the president of the United States” “Trump wants a deal. And if he can’t get one now, he may walk away from it entirely” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Vladimir Putin may be laying a trap Trump is confident going into the Alaska summit. But Europe is worried that Putin is playing him - and will only offer a deal that Ukraine will reject And would that then turn Trump against Zelensky again? www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“But five days is also a long time in Trump’s America, and these fragile efforts to get Trump and Putin in the same Alaskan meeting room could easily hit barriers before the delegations board their flights” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Vladimir Putin is coming to America Trump, frustrated with Putin but drawn to spectacle, believes his dealmaking can end the war. But Ukraine worries he may hand Moscow a win Inside the backchannel talks and Moscow trip that led to Alaska invite: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
In 2017, Trump threatened “fire and fury” to intimidate North Korea—and because he was annoyed to not be the main storyline on cable news. The bellicose rhetoric succeeded: Suddenly, Trump had changed the news cycle His efforts to do so now haven’t worked www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump’s own efforts to manage the Epstein story have only fed it. His account of why they had a falling-out years ago has shifted multiple times And advisers have told Trump that saying he has the right to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell only raises questions www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Donald Trump has almost certainly complained more about journalists than any of his predecessors have, maybe more than all of them combined. So when Trump deemed a query ‘the nastiest question’ he’s ever gotten from a member of the press, it was notable” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“A president who, less than a year ago, staged a historic political comeback and moved to quickly conquer Washington and the world now confronts more obstacles than at any point since his inauguration” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: It’s Trump’s August of discontent Wars in Gaza and Ukraine are expanding. The jobs report was poor. The new tariffs could raise prices. Republicans are being heckled at town halls. And there’s Epstein Inside Trump’s toughest moment back in office: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump distrusts Netanyahu about the Gaza famine. But his frustration only goes so far The president blames Hamas for scuttling recent ceasefire talks. And he backed Bibi by declaring the best way to end the humanitarian crisis is to release the hostages www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has come to believe what many in Washington have thought for months: that Netanyahu is looking to prolong the Gaza conflict in open defiance of Trump’s wish for the war to end But Trump’s anger hasn’t translated into any real shift in U.S. policy www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: The famine in Gaza has put a new strain on President Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu Trump wants the war to end and is frustrated with another news cycle he can’t control But aides downplay chances of a real break - or major Israel policy shift www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Trump—the president, their leader, the martyr who had endured scandals and prosecution and an assassin’s bullet on their behalf—had repeatedly told them it was time to move on from Epstein and that alone should suffice” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: The White House mulled ways to quell the Epstein furor: Appoint a special counsel. Unseal court documents. Have Bondi address the press. Could Trump hold *daily* news conferences à la his COVID briefings? Then the birthday card story exploded: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump is finally taking the fight to Putin. Sort of. For now. But the change is not reflective of Trump adopting a new worldview. He did not develop a fondness for Ukraine. He did not become a believer in transatlantic alliances Rather, he got insulted www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Why Trump Suddenly Sounds Tougher on Russia He didn’t change his worldview. He got insulted. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The next phase of Trump’s presidency—as well as next year’s midterms—could be defined by his bet that the GOP bill, and his other policies, will usher in a booming economy But if that wager loses, it would give Democrats their best chance yet for power www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Despite his recent angry words for Putin, Trump is still not ready to endorse the bipartisan Senate bill that would punish Russia with tough sanctions This despite Senator Lindsey Graham telling reporters that the president was on board www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Trump got his bill passed. Now what? The next phase of his presidency will be defined by his risky bet on the economy: tariffs, deportations, deregulation and the bill’s tax and Medicaid cuts If it backfires, Democrats will have a midterms lifeline www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
To categorize Mamdani at the beginning of the race as an afterthought would have been an insult to afterthoughts But he revealed himself to be an adept communicator, mastering social-media memes and evoking far more of Obama’s loft than Biden’s whisper www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
In a remarkable plot twist, Eric Adams believes that Mamdani’s win means that *he* can now position himself as the steadier choice for mayor Trump has mused about endorsing Adams - though he may opt against out of concern that it would hurt more than help www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Republicans are giddy to make Zohran Mamdani a new foil But for Democrats, his win will resonate beyond NYC. It was a symbolic victory over the party’s aging old guard - and highlighted energy, communication and cost of living On what Mamdani means: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump opposed the strike but came around to staying out of Israel’s way - while helping it defend itself from Tehran’s counterattack Now that Israel’s initial wave of strikes has proved a remarkable success, he embraced the attacks, offering more support www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
It was peace at 8 pm, war at 9 pm Back in 2020, Tucker Carlson used his Fox News show to urge Trump against hitting Iran. An hour later on the same channel, Hannity took more hawkish views That dynamic is now repeating itself as MAGA splinters over Iran www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The U.S. intel community and Gabbard do not believe Iran is close to a bomb. But Trump now sides with Netanyahu Trump likes talk of bunker busting bombs as “leverage” to get Iran back to the table - but chances are rising that he may authorize their use www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: MAGA is fighting itself over Iran Both sides are pressuring Trump, who initially opposed Israel’s strikes. But he has grown frustrated with Tehran - and wants to share Israel’s success His choice now: does he fully involve the U.S. in war? www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“One photo—showing a masked protester standing in front of a burning car, waving a Mexican flag—has been embraced by MAGA as a distillation of the conflict: a president unafraid to use force to defend an American city from those he deems foreign invaders” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: The White House is delighted with events in Los Angeles President Trump was looking for an immigration fight and found it in deep-blue California Facing no guardrails, he has deployed the military as a show of force - but risks of escalation grow www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: As Elon Musk’s time as a government employee was set to expire, he asked the White House to stay on President Trump said no And then all hell broke loose, pitting the world’s richest man vs the world’s most powerful man Inside the Trump-Musk fight: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“They thought this was some kid they were going to pick up and no one was going to miss him,” she added. “That was a mistake.” @michaelelsenroo.bsky.social with an inside look at the school supporting the NYC student detained by ICE www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
Instead of focusing on the attack’s apparent anti-Semitism, Trump opted to return to his favorite political hobbyhorse, immigration The choice was revealing: he has long cited the dangers posed by migrants to argue for closed borders and hard-line policy www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: For Trump, the Boulder attack quickly became a chance to convert an act of anti-Semitic violence into justification for his mass-deportation campaign But Soliman’s arrival to the U.S. and his immigration status is more complicated than Trump says www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“The drone strike deep within Russia has reignited the president’s long-held displeasure with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and prompted a new debate in the White House about whether the United States should abandon Kyiv” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has deemed Zelensky a “bad guy” and a “hothead” - someone who could be pushing the globe toward World War III Trump was impressed with the audacity of the drone strikes but believes that Zelensky’s focus should have been on Ukraine-Russia talks www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Ukraine’s audacious drone attack inflicted humiliating losses on Russia and was cheered by Kyiv’s allies But Trump was unhappy Putin promised to retaliate and Trump blames Kyiv for prolonging the war. The U.S. took another step toward walking away www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Like so many stories about Donald Trump, this one begins with a tweet More than a decade ago, Trump mused whether Vladimir Putin would “become my new best friend” That launched one of the most enduring and significant geopolitical bromances in history www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has started to feel humiliated that Putin is “tapping him along” and is frustrated that Putin does not seem to want to end the war, @jonlemire.bsky.social and @ashleyrparker.bsky.social report:
Trump has started to privately feel humiliated that Putin is “tapping him along” and does not want to end the war At the same time, Trump said that he will wait “two weeks”—his favorite verbal crutch when stalling for time—before deciding on his next move www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
John Bolton, former national security adviser, told us about Trump: “He really wants a Nobel Peace Prize.” “He’ll take it for Ukraine, he’ll take for Gaza, he’ll take it for Pakistan-India. He’s not particular.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: For a decade, Trump has prided himself on a good relationship with Putin - one he thought would lead to a Ukraine ceasefire deal Yet Russia has rebuffed him and Trump has grown frustrated. But will he finally punish Putin? (W/@ashleyrparker.bsky.social) www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Trump still wants to establish closer ties with Putin, and the White House will likely revisit the possibility of a meeting before long," Jonathan Lemire writes. But officials now expect that any peace talks in Ukraine won’t involve negotiations to end the fighting.
Jake Sullivan tells me that by agreeing to talks with Ukraine—even in vague, toothless terms—Putin had done enough to placate Trump for now “He wants to keep the war going but, on the other hand, keep Trump from flipping on him. And so his gambit wins.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump wants a Putin summit, imagining it as a made-for-TV spectacle to announce an end to the war But while Russia sanctions are gaining Senate support, Trump now seems set to step back from Ukraine peace talks Europe may be on its own www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: President Trump is walking away His intent to abandon the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks hands Moscow a win - at least for now, it can keep fighting without fear of new U.S. punishment Once more, Trump opts not to challenge Putin: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Even in Washington, a capital now numbed to scandals that were once unthinkable, the jet is jaw-dropping Trump’s second term is yet again displaying a disregard for norms and for traditional legal and political guardrails - this time at a gargantuan scale www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has defended accepting the Qatari plane He has privately told aides that it is “humiliating” for the president of the United States to fly in an outdated plane and that foreign leaders will laugh at him if he shows up at summits in the old aircraft www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: The Qatari jet is breaking through Ethical and security concerns about the possible Air Force One have fueled rare criticism of Trump from GOP and MAGA true believers It’s also shining a light on other ways Trump is profiting from the presidency www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“In a rare moment of defiance, some of the loudest cries of protest about the possible gift are coming from some of Trump’s staunchest allies,” @jonlemire.bsky.social and @russellberman.bsky.social write.
Many of the same themes that defined Trump’s 2017 visit remain pertinent now: his support for Israel, his fondness for authoritarians, and his prioritization of deals over humanitarian concerns Now, as then, European allies are watching nervously www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Surely, you remember The Orb For all its odd spectacle, Trump’s first foreign trip - which began in Saudi Arabia - debuted his role as a global figure that has now been fully realized Now he returns to Riyadh - with Gaza & Iran at inflection points www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
There is little consensus within Trump’s Cabinet on next steps Ex-Russia hawks push privately but Rubio is publicly muted while Waltz’s clout has faded The isolationist wing - Vance, Miller, outside allies like Bannon - voice loud skepticism of Kyiv www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump aides “have begun to draw up plans to punish Russia for slow-walking the peace process,” @jonlemire.bsky.social reports, “but whether or not those proposals see the light of day remains a mystery.”
Trump’s push to stop the Ukraine war was limited to an oddly personal and plaintive social-media post: “Vladimir, STOP!” But he displayed a rare flash of anger after Putin’s open defiance of American calls for peace risked making Trump look weak www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Trump wants peace in Ukraine. Moscow continues to defy him Behind the scenes, possible sanctions against Russia have been discussed. Deadlines are nearing. But next steps are shrouded in mystery: What would it take for Trump to stand up to Putin? www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
'One of our most critical programs': National victims group rebukes DOJ grant funding cuts www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/...
“The Pentagon, an organization dependent on clear lines of communication, was in a state of confusion, while questions surrounding Hegseth’s fitness for the post that first surfaced during his contentious confirmation became relevant again” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump is standing by Pete Hegseth—for now. But some in the White House have begun circulating names of possible replacements, @jonlemire.bsky.social reports:
The West Wing told staffers to hammer its messaging about deportations, migrants, even Greenland—really, any issue that could distract from an economy left quaking by Trump’s trade war–inducing tariffs Signalgate: the Sequel is not what they had in mind www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The surreal sight—at the White House Easter Egg Roll —seemed oddly fitting when the world’s largest military was wrapped in a level of dysfunction that bordered on comical, except for the hundreds of billions of dollars of fighter jets and tanks involved” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Hegseth shared attack plans in a Signal group chat. No, not that one Some top aides have been ousted, but few know why And there is talk of a SecDef firing, even as Trump backed him - all while standing near a giant bunny Inside the Pentagon chaos: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“This trapdoor is wide enough to swallow the entire Constitution. So long as he can find at least one foreign strongman to cooperate, Trump can, if he wishes, imprison any dissident, judge, journalist, member of Congress, or candidate for office” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The Trump administration has quietly doubled down on its plan to stop sending emergency food to millions of children who are starving in Bangladesh, Somalia, and other countries Without urgent aid, many of these children are likely to die within months www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
Aides in the White House and Trump boosters tried to present the about-face not as a cave but rather as a master class in negotiating from the man who wrote The Art of the Deal But Trump himself acknowledged that economic reality forced the new approach www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Trump urged patience with the process. “BE COOL!” he wrote, a sentiment that was perhaps less calming when done in ALL CAPS with an exclamation point” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Growing pressure from anxious Republicans and the threat of a bond-market crash gave fresh ammunition to those in the administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who have wanted Trump to take a more targeted approach to tariffs” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Inside Trump’s sudden retreat on tariffs The White House claims this was the plan all along and there’s now more pressure on China But the bond market crash spooked the West Wing, recession talk grew and more in GOP voiced worry And Trump blinked www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“Trump has done little to enact his campaign promise to bring down prices and has surprised some observers with his willingness to endanger his poll numbers by taking on such a risky tariff scheme” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
An emboldened Donald Trump believes that launching a trade battle is his best chance to remake the U.S. economy, elites and experts be damned, writes @jonlemire.bsky.social. What’s not clear, even to some of those closest to him, is what will count as a victory:
There is little dissent in Trump’s second White House, which is full of true believers Musk, though, has opposed tariffs. Bessent urged a moderate endgame But Navarro and Stephen Miller - maybe the West Wing’s most powerful voice - are pushing trade war www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Emboldened by his comeback, Trump believes that launching a trade war is his best chance of fundamentally remaking the American economy, elites and experts be damned What’s not clear, even to some of those closest to him, is what will count as a victory www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: Trump is willing to take the pain. At least for now He’s ignoring the usual pressure points: Wall St stumbles, unflattering cable coverage, his base’s complaints But small rifts are emerging in GOP and within West Wing. And markets continue to slide www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
President Trump’s sweeping tariffs fueled the steepest stock market sell-off in years, with the S&P 500 plunging more than 10% in two days. It's one of Wall Street’s worst weeks since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Breaking: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sees higher prices and slower growth because of President Trump's tariff plan, but is maintaining a wait-and-see stance on rates
Democrats’ biggest problem could be that they talk endlessly about all of the problems they have, @markleibovich.bsky.social writes.
"Once you’ve said you might negotiate the tariffs, nobody is going to believe you when you change your mind and say you’ll never negotiate," @jonathanbchait.bsky.social writes:
New York will not comply with an order from President Donald Trump’s administration to certify that school districts are eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
Liberation Day comes at a precarious moment for the White House: - Wisconsin defeat - SignalGate fallout - Backlash to Musk - Continued conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East - Pushback to deportations And now a likely global trade war www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
For the first time since Trump reclaimed the White House, some of his close allies are privately acknowledging that he "has been knocked off his stride," @jonlemire.bsky.social writes. They admit that the past two weeks have been the most challenging of his term:
Some Republicans hope the Wisconsin loss will be the beginning of the end for Musk: “Musk’s ‘sell by date’ is rapidly approaching He was a heat shield for a time. Now he’s a heat source” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: President Trump said he pushed his “Liberation Day” from yesterday to today to avoid April Fool’s Day Now, instead of falling on a date devoted to pranks, Trump’s new tariffs comes at a moment when his White House is facing a sobering reality www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: A lot is now riding on “Liberation Day” Trump is unveiling his sweeping tariffs at the toughest moment of his term, coming after SignalGate and a electoral loss in Wisconsin And the possible trade war has made even staunch Trump allies nervous www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Donald Trump’s instructions to his team are to attack Jeffrey Goldberg and The Atlantic and not, as one source described it, to “produce a scalp” by firing any members of his Cabinet, Isaac Stanley-Becker and @jonlemire.bsky.social report: theatln.tc/tem2cpGG
Trump aides showed fury toward Wicker and others in Hill GOP who have broken ranks Instead, they reward the loyal, including Graham - who declared that no one should lose their job over the Signal debacle - with an out-of-nowhere Truth Social endorsement www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Waltz is more vulnerable than Hegseth, most believe. The bare-knuckle fight to get Hegseth confirmed evoked the Kavanaugh battle and inspired loyalty Waltz is viewed with more suspicion by MAGA base - who are leery of his dealings with a Beltway reporter www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: As SignalGate rages, national security officers express horror at the lapse while senior Trump aides downplay it Resisting calls for firings, the president - for now - refuses to give “a scalp” to the media. But cracks in GOP defenses are emerging www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“President Donald Trump didn’t know what Signal was” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump has grown frustrated with the negative headlines the Signal security breach has caused, @jonlemire.bsky.social reports. Yet the president and his allies are focused on attacking the media rather than showing concern for the national-security blunder: theatln.tc/2vzda50K
Trump is not happy with how it is playing on TV; it’s the rare negative story that has broken through, at least some, on conservative-leaning outlets But for now, Waltz seems safe “The last thing he wants to do is give you guys [in the media] a scalp” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“A memo obtained by The Atlantic warning about Signal’s vulnerabilities was circulated to former CIA officers this month, just days before the Houthi PC Small Group was formed” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
NEW: As the Houthi group chat imbroglio envelopes Washington, President Trump has returned to a familiar playbook: Attack the media Inside the White House’s slams on the press rather than showing outward concern for the flagrant national-security breach www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACCIDENTALLY TEXTED ME ITS WAR PLANS www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
“The Trump administration is systematically asserting wartime authorities predicated on the notion that the United States is facing a foreign invasion that justifies extraordinary powers that go well beyond those that presidents have typically employed” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
During Trump's first term, when Miller’s immigration proposals hit legal obstacles, rumors would fly that he'd dust off arcane POTUS powers Lawyers would sometimes snicker. LOL Stephen, they’d say, amused by his creative zealotry No one is laughing now www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Stephen Miller, the White House point person on immigration, is pursuing a strategy that is bedeviling his opponents and could provoke a constitutional crisis, Nick Miroff and @jonlemire.bsky.social write.