We catch up on what’s happened this week with the Signal chat group controversy, immigration enforcement actions, and new executive orders.
EMILY KWONG, HOST:
It’s been another nonstop week in politics with executive orders almost daily, court rulings both blocking and paving the way for Trump administration priorities, and the fallout is still coming from the national security group chat that’s spilled into public view. President Trump is in Florida this weekend, and as a result, so is NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, who joins us now. Hi, Tam.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Hi there.
KWONG: Hi. OK. The group chat a reporter was accidentally invited to caught many of the headlines this week. Where does that stand at this point?
KEITH: So far, no one involved in the group chat has resigned or been fired. Trump allies are downplaying it, but the drip, drip, drip keeps coming. The White House was so insistent that the information shared in the chat wasn’t classified that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg, who had been added to the chat, ended up publishing the entire contents of the chat. That included details about a bombing attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen hours before it happened. There were also details that gave hints at the kind of intelligence the U.S. had about the targets.
The Trump administration is digging in for now saying, no harm, no foul, the mission was successful. But the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee have formally requested an inquiry by the acting inspector general at the Department of Defense.
KWONG: OK. It is almost impossible to keep track of all the legal challenges to Trump administration policies. And this week, there was a lot of action in court. What stands out to you?
KEITH: For the White House, the courts are proving to be a real speed bump, and it’s not clear yet whether some of these challenges may also turn out to be roadblocks. In the case of Trump’s effort to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador without a hearing, an appeals court ruled against the administration this week. The White House says they are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, and a spokesman said that it should, quote, “shock the conscience of the American people and constitutes capitulation to the ongoing unauthorized infringement on the president’s authority to protect the American people.”
So that is how the White House is seeing it. But other court rulings this week allowed the administration to move ahead with dissolving USAID and firing certain federal workers. So it has really been something of a mixed bag.
KWONG: Tam, let’s talk about the president’s executive orders and other actions from this week. Do you see a theme developing?
KEITH: It does extend beyond this week, but there is a concerted and sustained effort by the president to bend American institutions to his will. There was an executive order demanding that the Smithsonian museums represent a more positive, unblemished view of American history. There’s a continued push to get universities to comply with his wishes to crack down on campus protests and ditch diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
And there were more orders this week going after big law firms that once employed people that Trump blames for what he calls the witch hunts against him. These orders are a direct threat to the ability of these firms to represent their clients. Some of the firms are fighting it. Some are coming to agreements with the president. And it is roiling the legal profession.
KWONG: Meanwhile, President Trump has been previewing Liberation Day on April 2. What does he mean by that?
KEITH: Well, he’s talking about tariffs, and he plans to institute reciprocal tariffs on imports from countries all over the world, though we don’t know which ones exactly. We don’t have a lot of clarity on the specifics. Some of his top economic advisers did fly down to Florida with him last night on Air Force One. Reporters were asking the president about whether he sees himself negotiating on these tariffs, and he said, yes, but probably not until after they are announced. So while all eyes will be on the specifics he announces on Wednesday, don’t assume that is the end of the story.
KWONG: NPR’s Tamara Keith joining us from across the street from President Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Thank you.
KEITH: You’re welcome.
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
