President Trump closed out a week that White House officials are calling a win, even as nuclear negotiations with Iran remain stuck in neutral. The administration notched several policy victories and scored points with its base, enough to offset frustrations over Tehran’s continued delays at the bargaining table.
The president signed three executive orders this week targeting regulatory overreach, including one that strips federal funding from universities that maintain DEI offices. Another order expedites permitting for domestic energy projects, a move cheered by oil and gas workers in Pennsylvania and Texas who’ve watched their industries strangled by red tape for years.
Trump also hosted a Rose Garden ceremony for families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants, announcing a new Justice Department task force dedicated to prosecuting sanctuary city officials who refuse to cooperate with ICE detainers. The families received standing ovations from Republican lawmakers in attendance. Democrats boycotted the event, calling it “political theater.”
On the economic front, the Commerce Department reported that manufacturing jobs grew by 14,000 in April, the third consecutive month of gains in a sector that shed 200,000 positions during the previous administration. The White House seized on the numbers, with Press Secretary pointed to them as proof that “America First” trade policies are working.
The week’s bright spots couldn’t completely overshadow Iran. Negotiations in Geneva entered their sixth day Friday with no breakthrough. Iranian officials continue demanding sanctions relief before agreeing to any inspections of their nuclear facilities. Trump, who pulled out of the Obama-era nuclear deal in his first term, has insisted on “anytime, anywhere” access for inspectors before lifting a single sanction.
National Security Advisor warned that the administration’s patience is “not unlimited,” though he declined to specify what steps the U.S. might take if talks collapse. Israel, watching nervously from the sidelines, has reportedly put its military on heightened alert.
The president spent Saturday at his Virginia golf course, where he met with several Senate Republicans to discuss the administration’s immigration reform package. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the closed-door meeting “backroom dealing” and demanded public hearings.
Next week brings a high-stakes Supreme Court hearing on the administration’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship, a case legal experts say could reshape immigration law for generations.
Key Points
- Trump signed orders cutting university DEI funding and fast-tracking domestic energy permits
- Manufacturing added 14,000 jobs in April, the third straight month of gains
- Iran nuclear talks entered sixth day with no agreement as Tehran demands sanctions relief first
- Supreme Court will hear challenge to birthright citizenship order next week
